APD|ndonesia confirms one citizen killed in Christchurch mosque attacks

By APD writer Aditya Nugraha

JAKARTA, March 17 (APD) – An Indonesian man is confirmed among those killed in the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand city of Christchurch, an official at Indonesia foreign ministry said on Sunday.

 After being reported missing, Muhammad Abdul Hamid alias Lilik Abdul Hamid, was confirmed death in the brutal shootings perpetrated by anti-immigrant racist terrorists in Al Noor mosque.

“The confirmation was from the administrator of Al Noor mosque on Saturday afternoon,” Director of Legal Assistance and Citizen Protection at the ministry Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said.

The Indonesian man who worked as an aircraft engineer in Christchurch was happened to be in Al Noor mosque when the attack occurred during Friday prayer.

He was among 7 Indonesian nationals who had the prayer in the two attacked mosques of Al Noor and Linwood Islamic Center, reports said.

Four of those Indonesian nationals were reported safe, while two others suffered from serious injuries after they sustained shots in several parts of their bodies.

The injured ones, who are father and son, are now in critical condition and treated in a Christchurch hospital’s intensive care unit.

Indonesia embassy in New Zealand has opened an emergency response center to monitor the developing situation after the Friday’s attacks. The center also provides assistances for nationals affected by the attacks.

New Zealand authorities announced on Sunday that death toll from the attacks has risen up to 50 from 49 in the initial count. Addition of bodies was confirmed after the removal of bodies from the two mosques.

“We found another body during the process,” New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said in a report.  The killed ones in the attacks came from several nationalities that include Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

The injured ones from the attacks were recorded at 36 of which 11 of them suffered from serious injuries, now treated in Christchurch hospital.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)