APD | Indonesian police arrest terrorist suspect planning attacks on elections day

By APD writer Aditya Nugraha 

JAKARTA, April 4 (APD) – Indonesia’s anti-terror squad arrested a terrorist suspect in West Java’s Bandung regency district of Batujajar on Thursday, suspecting him of plotting attacks against police in the upcoming elections day.

   Four police were seriously injured due to resistance of the terrorist suspect, a police spokesperson said, adding that they found rifle guns, pistols, live bullets and arrows as they search residence of the suspect.

   “The four police were stabbed during the arrest. He (the suspect) has prepared the knife shortly before the arrest,” Indonesian Police Headquarters Spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo said in his office here.

   He added all of the injured police have been rushed to a hospital in Bandung.

   The arrested terrorist suspect is identified as Salim Hadi Suci, a member of homegrown terrorist group of Jamaah Anshaarut Daulah (JAD).

   The arrest against Salim was following the previous arrest against his mentor in the province’s city of Karawang on Wednesday, Dedi said.

   Salim is also linked with a terrorist arrested in North Sumatra province’s city of Sibolga last month, he added.

   “They were linked in the same financing network as well as attacks they have planned for,” Dedi said.

     The arrest in Sibolga led to the suicide of the terrorist’s wife and children following a standoff during the search process in the terrorist’s residence. 

   Dedi said police confiscated 2 AK-57 rifle guns, 2 Glock pistols, 2 Revolver pistols, 200 live bullets and several bows and arrows from in Salim’s residence.

   Police have so far arrested 13 members of JAD linked to Salim’s ring, continuing the hunt against the rest of them, he added.

   From the arrested ones, police learned that the JAD ring had plans to attack police in the elections day scheduled on April 17, he said.

  Indonesian police headquarters have prepared the deployment of 271,880 personnel to secure the elections that would simultaneously elect the president and members of central and regional legislative bodies.

   They will be assisted by 66,894 military personnel and over 161,000 civilian security task forces.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)