Indonesian police arrested five suspected Islamic State-linked militants who allegedly were planning an attack on a large crowd later this month, and killed another in separate weekend raids on hideouts in Central and West Java, a spokesman said Monday.

The suspects were plotting suicide attacks that included targeting mass gatherings as Indonesians await official results of the April 17 presidential and legislative elections that are due out on May 22, according to national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo.

“They are linked to the JAD (Jamaah Anshaarut Tauhid) group founded by Aman Abdurrahman,” Dedi said. “During the raids, we found bomb-making materials which were being prepared.”

Aman, a militant ideologue who pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was sentenced to death by a Jakarta court last year for his role in a series of terror attacks in Indonesia in recent years.

“They will take advantage of any chaos resulting from the mass mobilization of people by carrying out suicide attacks,” Dedi said, adding that the suspects caught in the weekend raids were also plotting to attack a police station in Bekasi’s Jati Asih area.

Police raided houses in Bekasi, a West Java city east of Jakarta, and Tegal regency in Central Java on Saturday and Sunday, arresting five people. One of the suspects was identified as Solikin (alias Abu Faisa), 34. Police released only the initials of the four others.

Another suspect, identified as T.P., threw a home-made bomb at the police, forcing officers to shoot and kill him, Dedi said.

Full story: BenarNews

Rina Chadijah
Jakarta

TN

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