BANDA ACEH: Indonesian police hunting members of a new terrorist group in western Indonesia have shot two suspects dead and arrested another six at a security check point.

The deaths on Friday are the first in an Indonesian counterterrorism crackdown since the group’s alleged leader and high-ranking Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network figure Dulmatin was shot dead near Jakarta on Tuesday.

Aceh Police Chief Maj. Gen. Aditya Warman says police shot dead two of eight suspects who fled from a bus that was stopped at a checkpoint west the Aceh provincial capital Banda Aceh.

He says there was a 15-minute gun battle before six of the suspects surrendered and were arrested.