Story of Syekh Asnawi al-Bantani Leading Laskar Mujahidin Against Dutch Colonials

Syekh Tubagus Muhammad Asnawi al-Bantani, a prominent Banten cleric, was also a key figure in mobilizing local resistance against the Dutch colonial government. In 1926, he co-founded the Laskar Mujahidin, an armed militia dedicated to combating the oppressive colonial administration.

As resistance efforts intensified in 1926, Syekh Asnawi and other Banten clerics established Laskar Mujahidin to provide a unified front against perceived Dutch injustices. Syekh Asnawi, born in 1850, personally led sabotage operations, including an attack on a Post, Telephone, and Telegraph (PTT) office in Jakarta. His actions involved destroying equipment and cutting telephone lines to disrupt communication between Banten and the colonial authorities.

According to the Banten Provincial Library and Archives Service, Syekh Asnawi believed disabling these communication facilities was crucial. He understood that the Dutch colonial government used them for control and to suppress local resistance movements. Within the Laskar Mujahidin structure, Syekh Asnawi's son, KH Emed Ahmad Hadi, and his son-in-law, KH Tb Achmad Chatib, served as commanders, with Ki Emed also overseeing logistics.

A major confrontation took place on November 15, 1926, when independence fighters and Laskar Mujahidin attacked a convoy of Dutch soldiers on the Sanggoma bridge in Caringin, Labuan, Banten. The battle began with grenade attacks, killing five Dutch soldiers and wounding many more. The Dutch forces retaliated with gunfire, causing numerous casualties among the Laskar Mujahidin and other fighters, including Commander H Sali and his deputy Amad. Those who perished were collectively buried along the banks of the Sanggoma River.