JAKARTA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian national police have been working with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to pursue a terrorist suspect, according to Indonesian national police on Thursday.
The suspect had played important roles in twin blasts earlier this year in the Philippines and deadly church explosions in Indonesia in 2016, Indonesian national police spokesman Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo said here on Thursday.
Andi Baso, an Indonesian citizen, had arranged the entry of an Indonesian couple who engaged in suicide bombings in January 2019 that left more than 20 people dead, the spokesman revealed.
Andi was also the alleged perpetrator of a church explosion in Samarinda, the capital city of Indonesia's East Kalimantan province, said Dedi.
"Detachment 88 (Indonesian anti-terror squad) and the police there have coordinated on hunting Andi Baso," Dedi said in the police headquarters.
The police believed Andi is now in the Philippines as he escaped to the country after the church bombing in Samarinda city, he added.
The spokesman said that Andi arranged the journey of the Indonesian couple, Rullie Rian Zeke and his wife Ulfah Handayani, into southern Philippines.
The couple entered southern Philippines in December 2018 and was accompanied by Andi, said Dedi.
On July 23, Indonesian national police confirmed the couple as perpetrators of the deadly blasts in two churches in the Philippines.
Indonesian anti-terror squad has also joined hand with Philippine counterpart in investigating the twin deadly blasts.
