Yes, we have received the report, but this issue will be explained further by the police.Jakarta (ANTARA) - The police have identified the terrorist network linked to the alleged suicide bomber at the Medan City Police Headquarters in North Sumatra, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD stated.
"Yes, we have received the report, but the police will explain this issue further. Eight people have been detained," Mahfud remarked here on Thursday.
However, he did not furnish further details on the report, explaining that the police will convey the same.
Mahfud admitted to it being no simple task to deradicalize active terrorist cells.
"Any action against the law will face the legal process, ideology will be handled through discourse, and hate speeches will be handled under the Criminal Code. It is not a simple process," he stated.
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Mahfud had earlier remarked that the suspected suicide bombing at the police headquarters did not mirror the police's ineptness to take precautionary measures, but terror acts were typically of the hit-and-run type.
The Medan bombing attack will lead the related law enforcement agencies to unearth terror networks in the areas of North Sumatra Province, he stated.
A suspected suicide bomber detonated himself in the yard of the Medan city police headquarters on Wednesday morning, afflicting injuries to six people.
Following this incident, the security measures were intensified at several police compounds in Indonesia's main cities, including Jakarta and Bandung.
The National Police have identified a college student, with the initials RMN, as a suspect behind the suicide bombing.
His identity came to light following an investigation conducted by the Indonesia Automatic Fingerprints Identification System (INAFIS) Team, in cooperation with the Population and Civil Registration Agency, along with the matching DNA test result of his parents.
According to the interim result of investigation, the police deduced that the perpetrator was believed to be a lone wolf. Related news: Gojek to cooperate in Medan bombing attack probe
"We are still working on this case," Prasetyo revealed.
According to the police’s statement, RMN had strapped the bomb around his waist while blowing himself up.
The police's anti-terror squad (Densus 88) uncovered several pieces of evidence at the crime scene comprising a nine-volt battery, iron plate, variant-sized nails, wire, and on-off switch panel.
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Translator: Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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