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An internal investigation is underway into how an alleged attacker was able to infiltrate a weapon into police headquarters on Wednesday, before he was fatally shot.
Police officers stand guard near a church where an explosion occurred in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Sunday, March 28, 2021 (AP Photo / Yusuf Wahil).
(Updated: )
Marker
JAKARTA: Indonesian police said on Thursday (April 1) that they will tighten security in churches across the country before Easter weekend, after two recent terrorist attacks.
National Police spokesman Rusdi Hartono told reporters: “In light of recent security conditions, (in particular) the incident in Makassar, the National Police have instructed police in all regions to intensify their vigilance against acts of terrorism, particularly in their operations to ensure Easter celebrations. “
A Catholic church in the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi province, was the scene of a suicide bombing last Sunday when a married couple riding a motorcycle blew themselves up. Twenty people were injured in the blast, four of whom are still hospitalized.
On Wednesday, a 25-year-old woman participated in a shootout with police inside the National Police headquarters in Jakarta. She fired six shots at police officers before being shot and killed. No police officers were injured in the incident.
A police officer stands guard near a church where an explosion occurred in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Sunday, March 28, 2021 (AP Photo / Yusuf Wahil).
Hartono said police will comb churches for bombs and other suspicious items before the masses. “Police will also be deployed to guard church entrances and doors and search people’s belongings,” he said.
The police announcement came hours after President Joko Widodo condemned the two acts of terrorism.
“I have instructed the chief of the national police, the military chief and the head of the state intelligence agency to increase surveillance,” he said Thursday. “There is no place for terrorism in our homeland.”
SECURITY PROCEDURES UNDER REVIEW
Hartono said police are reviewing their own security procedures after the Jakarta incident.
The suspect, Ms. Zaikah Aini, has been described as “a lone wolf” who believed in the ideology of the Islamic State. He is believed to have entered the police compound through a pedestrian gate, claiming he was delivering documents.
Indonesian authorities shot a person who entered the national police headquarters in Jakarta, in an incident described by local media as a “suspected terrorist attack” AFP / Mariana
Hartono said an internal investigation is underway to see if the agents manning the door searched his belongings and his body.
“The fact is that he was able to put a weapon in the police headquarters. We are auditing our security procedures. If there are flaws, we will make improvements. And not only the headquarters of the National Police but (the audit) will be applied to the police stations (at the national level), ”he said.
Although several police posts and regional offices have been targeted by terrorist attacks, this was the first time the national headquarters had been attacked.
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Police are also investigating how the attacker had acquired the pistol used in the attack.
Local media reported that he may have been carrying an airsoft pistol that shoots plastic pellets.
Hartono said that from the suspect’s body, police discovered a membership card issued by a now-defunct shooting range. “This may be how she acquired the weapon,” he said.
“We are still investigating. It’s difficult because the suspect is already dead, ”he said.
Hartono defended the officers’ decision to fatally shoot the woman.
“Police officers have been instructed to take firm action whenever they are attacked and the suspect appears to be armed, especially when the suspect is violating a high-security compound such as the National Police headquarters,” he said.
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The possession of firearms and airsoft is heavily regulated in Indonesia. Guns must be registered by security officials and owners must be licensed and a member of the Indonesian Hunting and Shooting Association (Perbakin).
Perbakin’s president, Lt. General Joni Supriyanto, said in a statement that Ms. Aini was not a licensed member, although she had attended shooting lessons at a now-defunct shooting range.
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Police said they posted an image of the Islamic State flag on their Instagram account prior to the attack, adding that authorities also found a will at his home. He had also sent a message to his family to say goodbye on WhatsApp.
Neighbors described the college dropout as a quiet woman who rarely left her home. “She was very different from her parents, who are very friendly and sociable,” a neighbor told the Detik news portal.
She was reportedly buried at a private funeral on Thursday.
