Jakarta Police: Bicycle terrorist made the bomb himself

A terror suspect whose makeshift nail bomb exploded unexpectedly while he was on his bicycle in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, earlier this month, did make the explosive device himself, the city police have said, contradicting an earlier statement.

The police have identified the suspect by the initials AH.

“AH said no one had helped him make the bomb,” Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said Monday as quoted by Antara news agency.

AH admitted he had intended to use the bomb to injure members of the police force, who he said had arrested many of his friends, Boy said.

AH claims to be from Aceh, and that he owns a home in Jakarta but moves around in the city. He is now under close police surveillance at Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta, where he is receiving treatment for the severe injuries he sustained in the explosion, which injured only himself.

The police have tasked a psychologist and a psychiatrist to evaluate AH's mental health within two weeks.

The bomb, attached to AH's bicycle handlebars, exploded on Jl. Kalimalang in East Jakarta as the suspect was approaching an on-duty traffic police officer. The officer, Adj. Comr. Herry, was uninjured.

At the time of the incident, AH was in possession of two small white pieces of paper that contained a handwritten note to the police, stating that he intended to wage a jihad against them.