As of Tuesday, we have apprehended 71 suspected terrorists in the aftermath of the suicide bombing attack on the Medan city police headquarters on November 13. This is our preventive effort,Jakarta (ANTARA) - A week after the suicide bombing in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, the National Police's counter-terrorism squad, Densus 88, has arrested 71 suspected terrorists, a police spokesman has revealed. "As of Tuesday, we have apprehended 71 suspected terrorists in the aftermath of the suicide bombing attack on the Medan city police headquarters on November 13. This is our preventive effort," National Police Spokesman Inspector General Mohammad Iqbal said.
One of the 71 suspects was killed after he detonated home-made bombs that he used for attacking the Medan city police compound while two others were shot dead after assaulting the policemen who attempted to apprehend them, he said.
The suspected terrorists were captured in North Sumatra and several other provinces, including Riau, Jakarta's outskirts, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Aceh, South Sulawesi, and a province in Kalimantan Island, Iqbal said.
Two people that Densus 88 earlier arrested were released because they were found to be innocent, he said. Their arrests were part of the preventive measures being taken for public security, he added.
Meanwhile, Densus 88 continued its big manhunt for individuals suspected of being involved in terrorist networks in West Java Province.
Densus 88 has been working closely with their colleagues from the North Sumatra police headquarters to uncover details and facts behind the suicide bombing attack in Medan.
The suicide bomber died in the blast that caused injuries to six people.
Commenting on this bombing incident, Political analyst of the Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) Luthfi Makhasin opined that it has again revealed that terrorists have shifted their targets from those representing symbols of the Western world to the Indonesian police.
In the past, as revealed in such deadly incidents as the Bali and JW Marriott Hotel bombings, the perpetrators targeted symbols of the Western world, he said.
"Currently, they are targeting the police because they regard them, especially Densus 88, as the representatives of the symbol of the 'Thogut' state," he argued.
The perpetrators did not target the Indonesian military (TNI) because the acts of terrorism were related to issues of domestic security which, according to laws and regulations, are handled by the police, he said. (INE)
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Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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