Jemaah Islamiah, militant group behind 2002 Bali bombings, to be disbanded

Sixteen JI leaders announced the decision in a video statement and confirmed their commitment to the Indonesian state and law

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Police officers inspect the ruins of a nightclub destroyed by a bomb blast in Kuta, Bali, in 2002. Photo: AP

Published: 3:55pm, 4 Jul 2024

Senior members of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the Southeast Asian militant network blamed for the deadly Bali bombings, have announced they are disbanding the group, according to a report by a Jakarta-based think tank on Thursday.

The report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), confirmed the authenticity of a June 30 video statement by sixteen JI leaders announcing they were dissolving the extremist network.

In the statement, captured on video and shared online, the leaders confirmed their commitment to the Indonesian state and law, and said all material taught in JI-affiliated boarding schools would be in line with orthodox Islam.

“It is too early to say what the consequences are, but the men who signed the statement have enough respect and credibility within the organisation to ensure widespread acceptance,” said Sidney Jones, who wrote IPAC’s preliminary analysis.

The al-Qaeda-linked militant group is accused of orchestrating some of the deadliest attacks in Indonesia, including the 2002 bombing of Bali nightclubs that killed more than 200 people.

Indonesia’s National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) declined to comment on the development, but said it planned to soon hold a press conference.