25 April 2016•Update: 28 April 2016
By Ainur Rohmah
TUBAN, Indonesia
Two members of a Daesh-linked group run by Indonesia's most wanted man have surrendered to police, and another has been killed in a shootout with military personnel in the jungles of Central Sulawesi province.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Luhut Binsar Panjaitan confirmed the surrender to media Monday, adding that a three-month operation to apprehend the group was proving successful.
"Two members from [Abu Wardah] Santoso's group surrendered because of hunger," Luhut said from his Jakarta office Monday, as quoted by detik.com.
He added that there were no more than 25 members of the gang left.
"We will continue to pursue them."
Operation Tinombala -- involving at least 2,500 police and military personnel -- was launched in January in a renewed effort to capture Santoso and his followers, who are believed to be hiding in mountainous areas of Poso, in Central Sulawesi.
On Monday, National Police Chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said police had shot a member of the terror group.
"He died on the spot [Sunday]," Haiti said, adding that police are still trying to identify his body.
Local media have claimed the militant is an ethnic Uighur man from China, one of two Uighur reportedly still fighting for the group.
Police have said that they shot dead four others from China's restive western Xinjiang region last month, while four others are serving prison sentences after being found guilty of collaborating with Santoso.
Indonesia's National Counter Terrorism Agency has said Uighur have been traveling to Poso for "terrorism" training.
Uighur -- which constitute around 45 percent of the population of Xinjiang – have accused China of carrying out repressive policies that restrain their religious, commercial and cultural activities.
