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Indonesia: More women becoming extremists

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JAKARTA: Indonesian women are taking on a more active role in violent extremism, with some seeking to become Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) suicide bombers, a leading security think tank has warned.

The growing problem was highlighted after the arrest in December of two women with links to ISIS allegedly planning suicide attacks in Indonesia, according to a report from the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

The increasing eagerness of Indonesian women to get involved in radicalism poses new risks, said IPAC, which is headed by security analyst Sidney Jones.

Rising female involvement is linked to the appeal of ISIS and also to the growing sophistication of social media, which allows more women to read the jihadists' propaganda and take part in radical chat forums, said the report. - AFP

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