IS-linked militants kill four farmers in remote Sulawesi village

ISLAMIC Statelinked extremists have killed four farmers in a remote village on the indonesian island of Sulawesi, police confirmed, with one of the victims reportedly beheaded.

Five sword-wielding attackers ambushed a group of farmers who were harvesting their coffee plantation in Kalimago village in poso regency on Tuesday morning, Central Sulawesi police spokesman Didik Supranoto said.

The police blamed the attack on the Sulawesi-based east indonesia Mujahideen (MIT), one of dozens of radical groups across the South-east Asian archipelago that have pledged allegiance to IS.

“Five eyewitnesses recognised one of the perpetrators as (a man named) Qatar, who is an MIT member,” the police spokesman said.

Locals were made aware of the MIT members by their pictures, distributed by the police in their hunt for suspected terrorists in the area.

The attack was motivated by “terrorism and robbery”, according to the police.

“everything the victims had was taken away by the perpetrators including rice, money and other belongings in their huts,” he added.

Local media reported that the victims were from Christian-majority ethnic group Toraja, and one was beheaded. These reports haven’t been confirmed by the police.

indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, has long wrestled with extremist militancy and terror attacks, while Central Sulawesi has seen intermittent violence between Christians and Muslims for decades.

in november last year, MIT militants ambushed a Christian community in poso, killing four with one victim beheaded and another burned to death.

The group also torched homes, including one used for regular prayers and services.