Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan police investigators are focusing their probe into the ISIS link of a lone wolf, who assaulted a policeman of the Daha Selatan police precinct on early Monday, a police spokesman stated.
"Police investigators found several ISIS documents. We are currently probing the suspect's links to the terrorist group," South Kalimantan Police spokesman Sen. Coms. Mochamad Rifa'i informed journalists here on Monday.
A scarf and ISIS ID card along with a handwritten testament of death were among the attacker’s items confiscated by the police, the spokesman revealed, adding that he chose to not make any speculations on the attacker's motive.
Owing to the early morning attack, Brigadier Leonardo Latupapua died of grave injuries, he stated.
Before assaulting on-duty Brigadier Latupapua, the attacker set ablaze a police patrol vehicle parked in the front yard of the police precinct, Rifa'i remarked.
The assault that took place at around 2:15 a.m. local time ended with the suspect's death after he chose to not heed to the police’s order to surrender.
The police officers thereafter gunned the suspect down after which his body was taken to the Hasan Basyri Kandangan Public Hospital for a post-mortem examination, he noted.
The police investigators conducted a preliminary investigation at the scene of crime during which they stumbled upon several items linked to the suspect's evidence of crime, including a jerrican of fuel for setting ablaze the police patrol car and a samurai sword.
Indonesia has become the target of terrorist attacks since 2000, and the spread of radicalism and terrorism continues to threaten the nation.
Antara reported that a church in the East Java city of Surabaya was attacked in May 2018. Three years ago, ISIS supporters in Indonesia had launched a suicide bombing and shooting attack in Jakarta on Jan 14, 2016, that resulted in the deaths of eight people, including three innocent civilians.
The incident added to the list of deadly assaults conducted by terrorist cells in Indonesia. During the period from 2000 to 2012, over a dozen attacks took place in the capital city, including the Australian embassy bombing on Sept 9, 2004, and the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotel bombings on July 17, 2009.
One of the most effective ways of freeing Indonesia from the vicious circle of radicalism and terrorism is to empower womenfolk across the nation, as they can actively contribute to rescuing Indonesian children from being misled by terrorist recruiters.
The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) will get involved in counterterrorism efforts to crush terrorists.
Related news: Policeman killed in suspected terrorist attack
Related news: Nine terrorists who died in prisons were ailing
EDITED BY INE
