M

obile Detective Unit (Buser) officers from the Gresik Regency Police in East Java shot and killed a hostage-taker on Jl. Veteran, near the Gresik Military Command (Kodim) office, on Wednesday.

Gresik Military Command personnel division head Capt. Suwanto said the hostage situation had taken place for more than two hours before the hostage-taker, identified as Fuad Ahmad, from Lombok, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, was killed after members of the Buser team shot him twice.

The incident started when the perpetrator began shouting in front of the military command and demanded to meet command chief Let. Col. Awang Pramila Loviantara.

'€œThe perpetrator had a number of demands, including sending him home to Mataram,'€ said Suwanto, as quoted by Antara news agency, in Gresik, East Java.

A few minutes before Awang appeared, the man ran to SD 2 Tlogopatut state elementary school, located close to Kodim, abducted a girl and took her hostage.

'€œThe perpetrator immediately grabbed her and pointed a knife at her, prompting screams from people at the school,'€ said Suwanto.

Awang, who at one point spoke with the perpetrator, said the man wanted to meet a Kodim official because he felt threatened and was being chased by someone who wanted to kill him after losing a soccer bet.

However, before the perpetrator had further explained his problem, he neurotically demanded the Kodim official send him to the port, while threatening the victim. He also borrowed a cell phone to call his relatives in Malang, East Java.

'€œDuring negotiations with the perpetrator, I also contacted the Buser team at Gresik Police station to follow the perpetrator as we were leaving the Kodim office,'€ said Awang.

During the journey to the port, a number of Buser detectives followed the car. In the middle of the trip, Suwanto managed to grab the hostage from the car, while the abductor wasn'€™t paying attention.

'€œIt took place when we were at a traffic light on Jl. Veteran. I grabbed the victim and hurried her out of the car, then Buser officials, who were following the car, immediately fired shots,'€ said Suwanto.

Two shots hit the perpetrator, who died instantly at the scene.

Gresik Police deputy chief Comr. Alfian Nurrizal said there was no misconduct related to the shooting.

'€œThe Buser officers acted in accordance with existing procedure. The man was attacking military personnel, who were trying to get his knife,'€ Alfian said.

The student was rushed to Semen Gresik Hospital for treatment. '€œThe victim suffered slight wounds to her chest and is shocked by the incident,'€ he said.

A staffer at the hospital, Tholib, said the victim required special treatment.

'€œThe victim is still in intensive care and needs psychological therapy because she experienced a shocking incident,'€ he said at the hospital.