A New Terror Tactic?

Regional Muslim militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI)—blamed for bombings across the region, including the devastating attack in Bali a year ago—appears to be on a chilling new tack in its fight to establish an Islamic state in Southeast Asia: slaughtering Christians, in the hope of reigniting murderous inter-religious conflict in Sulawesi.

The Indonesian island has long been a cauldron of Muslim-vs.-Christian violence. More than 1,000 people were killed there from 1999 to 2001. After at least a year and a half of calm, masked gunmen recently murdered 12 Christian villagers in two attacks, with most of the killings happening on Oct. 12—the first anniversary of the Bali blasts. Jakarta launched a massive manhunt for the shooters, and the effort yielded quick results. Police killed six alleged gunmen in a firefight on Oct. 16 and arrested 17 others.

Officials say the attackers were JI members and that they believe one of the group's senior leaders, Dulmatin, played an important role in planning the killings. So far, Jakarta's swift clampdown has forestalled retaliatory attacks by Christian vigilantes that could restart the cycle of tit-for-tat violence. But according to Sidney Jones, Southeast Asia project director for the International Crisis Group, there are several hundred JI members and sympathizers in the region where the attacks took place, and the danger of another provocation remains high. Although many JI operatives have been caught in the past 12 months, the group has proved one thing: it doesn't give up easily.