Six suspected supporters of Indonesian cleric killed in clash: Police

JAKARTA: Six suspected supporters of Indonesian Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab were killed in a clash with police on Monday (Dec 7), Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran told reporters.

The incident occurred just after midnight on a highway when a police car was attacked while following a car believed to be carrying supporters of the cleric, resulting in a shootout, Fadil said.

The police have been investigating the controversial cleric for violations of health protocols during the pandemic after large gatherings to celebrate his return to the world's biggest Muslim majority country from self exile in Saudi Arabia.

READ: Jakarta governor contracts COVID-19 as Indonesia infections spike

Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, left Indonesia in 2017 to go on an umrah, or minor pilgrimage, to Mecca shortly after the National Police charged him in connection with a pornography chat case and for allegedly insulting the Pancasila state ideology.

Police dropped both charges last year due to weak evidence, but authorities in Saudi Arabia had banned him from leaving the country without any explanation.

Shihab returned to Indonesia in November, with thousands of followers gathering to welcome him at the airport.

The Islamic Defenders Front was once on the political fringes and has a long record of vandalising nightspots, hurling stones at Western embassies and attacking rival religious groups. It wants Syariah law to apply to Indonesia's 230 million Muslims.​​​​​​​

The group has gained significant influence through humanitarian and charity work. It was a key organiser of massive street protests in 2016 and 2017 against the governor of Jakarta, who was subsequently imprisoned for blasphemy.​​​​​​​