Militant Laskar Jihad group disbands

By Amy Chew for CNN

There is speculation the Laskar Jihad may be trying to lower its profile after the Bali blasts

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KUTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- One of Indonesia's most militant Muslim groups, Laskar Jihad, famed for waging a holy war against Christians in the eastern Maluku islands, has disbanded and closed its headquarters.

The closure came shortly after the deadly Bali blast over the weekend. To date, no one has linked Laskar Jihad to the explosion.

Laskar Jihad or Holy War warriors, gained notoriety in 2000 when it sent thousands of men to Maluku to help Muslims fight Christians when the two communities turned against each other after having lived peacefully for almost a hundred years.

The entry of Laskar Jihad has been blamed for widening and deepening the conflict which has killed more than 10,000 since 1999. While Maluku has generally calmed down, violence still erupts periodically.

Laskar Jihad's headquarters in Yogyakarta have been closed and locked up about three days ago, according to Bambang Moestoppo, a student from Yogyakarta.

"There was no one in the office or their mosque. Also, Laskar Jihad members were no longer seen standing at traffic junctions collecting money for Maluku," Moestoppo told CNN by telephone from Yogyakarta.

Laskar Jihad's official website, which is often filled with anti-Western, anti-American, anti-Christian rhetoric has also been shut down. A notice on the webpage dated October 12, said the website was temporarily shut.

In Maluku's provincial capital of Ambon, 700 Laskar Jihad members left the island on a ship on Tuesday.

"The jihad members said the remaining members will also follow suit. They are withdrawing in phases," a local journalist, who declined to be named, told CNN by telephone from Ambon.

She said an estimated 2,300 members remain on the island.

Regroup fears

There are concerns that the 700 members who sailed out of Ambon may make their way to Jakarta to give support to their commander, Jaffar Umar Thalib, who is scheduled to appear in court this Thursday on charges of spreading hatred amongst the people during a sermon in Ambon earlier this year.

"It is also possible that this group maybe going underground," a Jakarta military source told CNN.

The closure of Laskar Jihad raised speculation the group may be trying to lower their profile in the light of international pressure to crackdown on extremist groups following the Bali blast.

Indonesia's other radical group, the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI), on the other hand, has openly come out to deny their involvement in the blast and said it was prepared to be questioned by the police to help with investigations.

"I am not worried because I am clean and I am not involved in the blast. If the police should call me in, I am ready and prepared to help them by answering questions," FPI leader Habib Rizieq, told CNN.

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