Anger against Ba’asyir arrest sparked police drive-by shooting: Police

The National Police have concluded that the shooting of police officers in Palu, Central Sulawesi, was motivated by anger over the arrest of firebrand cleric and terror suspect Abu Bakar Ba’asyir.

According to National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam, the suspects implicated in the offense were “angry towards and wanted revenge against police officers”.

“The suspects said that one of the reasons for attacking police officers was the arrest of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir,” he said on Tuesday.

He added that the suspects considered the police murderers and captures of their colleagues in and around Java.

“[This includes] Dr. Azhari, Nurdin M. Top, utadz Urwah, Dulmatin and their colleagues in Aceh and Poso, such as Icang and others,” he said, adding that these “colleagues” were terror suspects and convicts.

Anton said that the suspects considered the police “infidels and henchmen of the USA”.

“The police have been active participants in eradicating terrorism,” Anton said.