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Medan church attacker not part of int’l terrorist network: Minister
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On guard -- A National Police Mobile Brigade member stands guard in front of St. Yosep Catholic Church in Medan, North Sumatra, following an attack on Sunday. (Antara Photo/Irsan Mulyadi)
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oordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said on Monday the latest findings of the police investigation investigation into Ivan Armadi Hasugian, 18, the suspect in the attack on St. Yosep Catholic Church in Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday, showed that the suspect was not part of an international terrorist network.
"We’ve found that he [Ivan] was indeed obsessed with radicalism and international terrorism. However, there is no indication that he is involved in such a network. We need to investigate further," Wiranto said on Monday.
He explained that Ivan was believed to have been inspired by an attack launched by Islamic State (IS) militants on a church in Rouen, France, in which a priest was killed and a parishioner wounded, last month. The suspect learned how to make bombs from the internet, he went on.
During their search of Ivan's apartment, Wiranto said, the police found several tools that could be used to make a homemade-bomb, such as copper wire, black powder, batteries, an incandescent lamp and a solder.
He said the police also found a note saying "I love Al-Baghdadi", the name of the IS leader, when they searched Ivan’s bag.
Ivan was named a suspect after churchgoers foiled an attack on Rev. Albertus Pandiangan during Sunday Mass. Ivan allegedly attempted to kill Albertus, 60, with a knife and an axe but only managed to wound the priest’s left arm as churchgoers immediately apprehended him. (ebf)
