Christmas bomb plot foiled, three killed — Indonesia cop
JAKARTA: Indonesian police have foiled plans by an IS-linked group for a Christmas-time suicide bombing after killing three suspected militants yesterday and discovering a cache of bombs, authorities said.
A firefight erupted at a house in South Tangerang 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of the capital Jakarta, with police saying the alleged militants had opened fire at officers.
“We asked the three men to surrender but they fought, with one of them throwing a bomb ( at officers). Thankfully the bomb didn’t explode and we took firm action against them,” said national police spokesman Rikwanto, who goes by one name.
He said the group to which the three belong, which is linked to the Islamic State group ( IS), had planned to stab a police officer at a police station and wait for crowds to gather before launching a suicide bomb attack around the Christmas holidays.
The targeted location is near a private hospital west of Jakarta, police added.
Bomb squad officers in protective gear have so far detonated six bombs seized from the house and more are expected to be blown up before investigators can enter the building. Police have yet to disclose the total number of bombs discovered on Wednesday.
The plot was disclosed by a group member who was arrested earlier on Wednesday and tipped
We asked the three men to surrender but they fought, with one of them throwing a bomb (at officers). Thankfully the bomb didn’t explode and we took firm action against them.
off police about the three militants and their whereabouts, police said.
The raid came less than two weeks after police arrested four Islamic militants including a female suicide bomber in Bekasi east of Jakarta. They were plotting to bomb one of the guard posts at the presidential palace.
Police said the men in South Tangerang have links to the Bekasi group and to Bahrun Naim, a leading Indonesian militant fighting with IS in Syria who was allegedly responsible for several botched assaults in his homeland.
“These groups are linked to ISIS. Some recruit, some donate, some assemble the bombs and some carried out the attack,” another national police spokesman Martinus Sitompul said, using another acronym for IS. — AFP
Rikwanto, national police spokesman