The anti- terrorism police have shot dead an Islamist militant and detained six others for allegedly planning attacks on officers under the cover of rallies tied to the recent elections.
The plotters had reportedly planned to attack the officers with firearms and carry out suicide bombings.
National Police Spokesman, Dedi Prasetyo, said that the suspects were arrested after a raid in Bekasi. The one who was shot dead had attempted to throw a bomb at the police.
“They were planning to take police firearms and use them to commit terrorism, whether by becoming suicide bombers or performing other attacks that could be fatal for protesters,” Prasetyo confirmed. He also added that the suspects aim to imitate the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which militants carried out a series of bombings in India’s financial capital, using firearms and explosives. The explosives the militants had intended to use in the alleged attack have also been confiscated by the police.
The suspected militants are linked to the Islamic State (IS) inspired Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) which was legally disbanded by the government last year for conducting terrorism and for having affiliations with foreign militant groups.
Source: Channel News Asia
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