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Suspected ‘IS’ sympathizer attacks Surabaya Police officers on Independence Day
The police seized a sickle, a knife, a catapult, an airsoft pistol and a flag associated with the Islamic State (IS) from the assailant’s backpack.
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A policeman stands guard outside the Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church (Surabaya Gereja Pantekosta Pusat) in Surabaya, East Java on May 13, 2018.
A series of blasts, including a suicide bombing, struck churches in Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens in the deadliest attack for years in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
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n unidentified man assaulted two Wonokromo Police officers working at a Police Integrated Service Center in Surabaya, East Java, using a sickle on Saturday afternoon.
First Adj. Insp. Agus Sumartono sustained cuts on his hands, right cheek and the back of his head. Meanwhile, First. Brig. Febian, another officer who was near the scene when the attack unfolded, was bruised when he apprehended the attacker.
“The unidentified person came to the center acting as if he was about to file a report. When officer Agus talked to him, the assailant leaped over [the reception desk] and slashed him with a sickle,” Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Sandi Nugroho told the press on Saturday.
He said another officer who happened to be near the scene of the crime immediately responded to Agus’ call for help by shooting the perpetrator.
“The assailant is currently being interrogated. He has so far remained silent,” said Surabaya Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Akhyar.
He added that the attacker didn’t have an ID card on him. The police seized a sickle, a knife, a catapult, an airsoft pistol and a flag associated with the Islamic State (IS) from the assailant’s backpack.
“The injured officer is currently hospitalized at the RKZ [St. Vincentius A. Paulo] Hospital. We’re still uncertain whether the attacker has ties to the IS,” Akhyar said.
Every member of the local police force has been instructed to anticipate further attacks, he said.
Last May, a suicide bombing took place at the Surabaya Police headquarters, injuring four officers and six civilians. (rfa)
