TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Police say 1 man killed in Jakarta was civilian, not bomber

Against radicalism: Indonesian men chant slogans during an interfaith rally against radicalism, terrorism and drug abuse in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday

Niniek Karmini (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, January 17, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

Police say 1 man killed in Jakarta was civilian, not bomber Against radicalism: Indonesian men chant slogans during an interfaith rally against radicalism, terrorism and drug abuse in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday. Indonesian police said they have arrested a number of people suspected of links to Thursday's bombings which was the first major assault by militants in Indonesia since 2009. (AP/Dita Alangkara) (AP/Dita Alangkara)

A

span class="inline inline-center">Against radicalism: Indonesian men chant slogans during an interfaith rally against radicalism, terrorism and drug abuse in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday. Indonesian police said they have arrested a number of people suspected of links to Thursday's bombings which was the first major assault by militants in Indonesia since 2009. (AP/Dita Alangkara)

One of the eight men killed in an audacious attack by Muslim militants in the heart of Indonesia's capital was a civilian and not one of the bombers as first thought, police said Sunday.

The victim, 43-year-old Sugito, was suspected of involvement because he crossed the road to a traffic police post next to Dian Joni Kurniadi, one of four confirmed attackers, Jakarta police spokesman Col. Muhammad Iqbal said.

Sugito, who uses one name like many Indonesians, was one of four civilians killed in Thursday's attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen who targeted a Starbucks cafe and the traffic police post in bustling central Jakarta. More than 20 people were wounded.

It was the first major assault by militants in Indonesia since 2009. Police said the attackers were tied to the Islamic State group through Muhammad Bahrunnaim, an Indonesian fighting with IS in Syria.

Iqbal told reporters that a thorough police investigation into Sugito's records concluded he was an ordinary resident of West Java's Karawang city.

Police are still investigating whether Kurniadi was the attacker who blew himself up at the traffic police post, killing two civilians and badly injuring a police officer.

Two attackers had known militant backgrounds: Afif Sunakin, who in 2010 was sentenced to seven years in jail for his involvement in militant training in Aceh province, but was released early; and Muhammad Ali, who was sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison for robbing a bank to finance extremist activities. Police identified the fourth attacker as Ahmad Muhazan Saron, who blew himself up inside the Starbucks.

The other civilians killed were Canadian Amer Quali Tahar and Jakarta residents Rico Hermawan and Rais Karna, who died of his injuries Saturday.

Police have arrested 12 people suspected of links to Thursday attacks and are searching for others. (**)

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.