Jemaah Islamiyah Briefer: Terrorist Activities, Targets and Victims

By Rommel C. Banlaoi

JI is regarded as the most notorious terrorist organization in Southeast Asia with region-wide reach.  Its terrorist operations and activities were not only limited in Indonesia but also in countries in Southeast Asia, particularly those areas under JI’s Mantiqi structure. JI, particularly the unstructured faction, endorses the targeting of civilians who are believed to be enemies of Islam.  Since 2000, JI has been involved in various terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia.   JI was responsible for the following terrorist activities:

·         An assassination attempt of Leonides Caday, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia, on 1 August 2000 using an Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs). The incident resulted in the killing two people and injuring 21 others including Ambassador Caday;

·         Christmas Eve Bombing on 24 December 2000 that involved a series of coordinated bombings of churches in Jakarta and eight other cities.  These bombings  killed 18 people and injured many others;

·         The Rizal Day Bombing on 30 December 2000 in various areas of Metro Manila. The Rizal Day Bombing led to the death of 21 victims and injury of more than 100 persons;

·         The Kidapawan Bombing in the Southern Philippines on 10 October , which killed six people and injured 24 others;

·         The Bali Bombing on 12 October 2002, which, stated earlier, resulted in the death of more than 200 persons and injury of 300 victims;

·         The J.W. Marriot Hotel Bombing in Jakarta on 5 August 2003.  It killed 12 persons and injured more than 150 others;

·         The Australia Embassy Bombin in Jakarta on 9 September 2004.  It killed 9 people and injured around 150 others; and,

·         The Second Bali Bombing on 1 October 2005 resulting in the death of 20 persons and injury of 129 others.

Targets of JI’s terrorist activities, therefore, were critical infrastructures like embassies, hotels, and beach resorts.  Most of the victims were civilians both locals and foreigners.  In the case of the 2002 Bali Bombing, most of the victims were Australians.

[This piece is taken from Rommel C. Banlaoi, Counter-Terrorism Measures in Southeast Asia:  How Effective Are They? (Manila: Yuchengco Center, 2009)].