Indonesia deploys over 20,000 troops to Jakarta amid wiretapping probe

Authorities have not confirmed that the military deployment in Jakarta is connected to the arrests of two senior police officers and former national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

Indonesian soldiers block student protesters during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia on Jun 12, 2026. (File Photo: AP/Tatan Syuflana)

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s military is deploying more than 20,000 troops and personnel to Jakarta, officials said on Wednesday (Nov 4) as authorities investigate an alleged illegal wiretapping operation targeting President Prabowo Subianto that has led to the detention of two senior police officers and a former police chief.

Among those implicated in the scandal is former national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was dismissed as Presidential Chief of Staff on Wednesday, just over a month after his appointment.

Army lieutenant Ariyo Windutomo, who heads the Presidential Secretariat, has been appointed acting Presidential Chief of Staff following Listyo’s dismissal.

Authorities however have not confirmed that the military deployment in Jakarta is connected to the wiretapping probe.

Indonesian armed forces spokesperson Muhammad Nas said the troop movement was standard procedure for maintaining national security and territorial integrity.

Meanwhile, navy operations assistant Yayan Sofiyan did not elaborate on the purpose of the deployment or respond to questions about whether there were concerns about security or political tensions in Jakarta amid the wiretapping investigation and the arrests.

The first phase of the new military deployment began on Monday with 2,100 personnel from units already stationed in Jakarta.

The new deployments include troops from marine and navy units as well as training centers and naval bases from Java and Lampung province. An additional 13,140 personnel have been placed on standby and remain ready for deployment if needed, Sofiyan said.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Related: Indonesia's new police chief moved fast to shake up the force. Can he change its culture? Former Indonesian national police chief among three arrested for the alleged illegal wiretapping of Prabowo WIRETAPPING PROBE The alleged illegal wiretapping operations reportedly targeted not only Prabowo but also Cabinet officials, politicians, journalists, civil society leaders and business executives.

Listyo’s dismissal and Ariyo’s appointment as acting Presidential Chief of Staff were made under a presidential decree issued by Prabowo, according to presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi.