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Thamrin bombing survivors testify in court
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Authorities escort radical cleric Aman Abdurrahman (second right) as he arrives at the South Jakarta District Court on Feb. 15, 2018, for his first appearance over his alleged role in the 2016 suicide bombing on Jl. MH Thamrin. Abdurrahman, who is considered the de facto leader of all Islamic State (IS) supporters in Indonesia, appeared in court for his suspected role in masterminding a suicide bomb attack that killed eight people and was claimed by IS. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
A
survivor of the January 2016 Thamrin suicide bombing has told a court he still worries whenever he passes through the Central Jakarta area.
Thirty-one-year-old John Hansen, who suffered wounds on his left ear in the bombing, testified in a trial against the alleged mastermind of the terrorist attack, Aman Abdurrahman, at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.
“Yes, I feel anxious [whenever passing the bombing spot], at least until 2017,” John said, responding to prosecutor Mayasari’s question. He was inside the Starbucks café in the Sarinah shopping complex on Jl. MH Thamrin, where a suicide bomber killed eight people, five of whom were identified as the attackers. Some 20 others, both police officers and civilians, were injured.
Meanwhile, two officers from the Jakarta Police’s traffic directorate, Second Insp. Suhadi and Second Insp. Dodi Maryadi, who had been shot during the attack, said the perpetrators had shot at both civilians and police officers.
Suhadi said he had been on patrol in the Thamrin area when he heard the explosion. Not long after that, a person holding a silver gun shot him when he looked back. Amid the chaos, Suhadi did not realize immediately that he had been shot, until someone told him he was bleeding.
“At that time, I knew I was shot and asked to be taken to the hospital,” Suhadi said.
Dodi had been at the nearby Menteng Police office during the incident. He decided to go to the location after hearing about the attack on the radio. When Dodi arrived, he saw some victims on the street and he was ordered to evacuate them to the Starbucks.
He then drove the police car to the café, but a gunman shot at the car’s window, and the bullet hit Dodi’s stomach. As he was not carrying any weapon, Dodi rushed to get help and was delivered to a hospital to have a surgery. (wnd)
