Police believed Syarif and his colleagues had learned how to make bombs from Amir Ashabul Kahfi of Cirebon, namely Yadi Al Hasan from a small team of Asykari whose members were also members of JAT Cirebon.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Police have linked Ahmad Urip, the perpetrator of Sunday`s suicide bombing attack on a church in Solo, to Mochamad Syarif who died in the same way in a Cirebon mosque last April.
"Ahmad was a member of JAT`s Cirebon chapter, and also a friend of Mochamad Syarif, the suicide bomber at the Adz Zikra Mosque in Cirebon (on April 15, 2011)," Inspector General Anton Bachrul Alam, the head of the National Police`s public relations division, told the press in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept 27).
Ahmad died in the attack on the Bethel Injil Sepenuh church (GBIS) in Kepunton, Solo, Central Java Province, at around 11 am on Sunday (Sept 25).
The only fatality in the church bombing, had several aliases, namely Pino Damayanto alias Ahmad Yosefa alias Hayat alias Raharjo.
The attack injured 22 people who mostly suffered wounds caused by nails, nuts and bolts which the bomb sprayed all around when it exploded.
Nineteen of the injured were taken to Dr Oen Hospital and three others to Brayat Minulyo Hospital in Solo for treatment.
According to the chief of Dr Oen Hospital`s intensive care unit, D. Rudi Handoyo, 11 of the 19 bomb blast victims treated at the hospital had to undergo surgery and eight others outpatient treatment.
The Indonesian Police Headquarters believed Ahmad had used a low explosive bomb.
This was evident from the insignificant damage to the church building, Head of the Indonesian Police Headquarters` Public Information Division Snr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Anton said the Solo bomber was also the perpetrator of Alfamart defacement in Cirebon in 2010. He had accompanied Syarif when the latter planned to carry out a suicide bombing at Adz Zikra mosque, he said.
Syarif, who had died in the attack, had been active in the membership of JAT Cirebon led by Agung Nur Alam alias Abu Husama, he explained. He had also actively followed teaching classes led by Abu Bakar Ba`asyir in several places in West Java.
Police are still investigating the person who had led the oath taking ritual of Ahmad. Syarif had taken an oath in a ritual led by Amir Markasiah , ustadz Abu Bakar Ba`asyir in Tasikmalaya in 2008, together with 10 other members of JAT Cirebon.
He had learned doctrines from Agung Nur Alam and Oman Abdurrahman who allowed members to raise funds by committing robberies.
Police believed Syarif and his colleagues had learned how to make bombs from Amir Ashabul Kahfi of Cirebon, namely Yadi Al Hasan from a small team of Asykari whose members were also members of JAT Cirebon.
Syarif had blown himself up and wounded 30 other people at the mosque in a police station`s complex in Cirebon, West Java, in April 2011.
The National Police revealed the identity of the recent Solo bomber after conducting forensic tests of the body of the suspected bomber, who had been taken to the police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, from Solo.
"Based on the results of an identification process conducted by the Medical and Health Center (Pusdokes), we are now absolutely sure that his name is Ahmad Urip alias Ahmad Yosefa alias Hayat alias Raharjo ," Inspector General Anton Bachrul Alam said at the press conference.
Pusdokes chief Mosaddeq Ishaq who was also present at the press conference said the suicide bomber`s identity became clear during an autopsy on his body at the Dokter Sukanto Police Hospital at Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, on Monday (Sept 26).
"The identification process included the collection of primary data such as the bomber`s finger prints, teeth, and DNA," he said. Later, the data was compared with those of members of his family, after a reconciliation was carried out, Mosaddeq said.
"We also verified the man`s other physical data such as the color of his skin (dark brown), his age (between 25 and 30 years), a hernia surgery mark and an abnormally thick patch of skin on one of his feet," he said.
DNA tests were also conducted on Ahmad`s daughter, Humairah Naila Husna (4), and wife, Sifria Yosefa Dewi (27).
"Ahmad`s parents - his mother, Indun, and his father, Daud Turanin - have also acknowledged his identity," Mosaddeq said.
On the day of the incident, Police interrogated at least 15 witnesses in connection with the suicide bomb blast.
"So far, we have interrogated 15 witnesses in connection with the bomb blast at the GBIS church," Chief of the Public Relations Division at the Indonesian Police Headquarters Anton Bachrul Alam said on Sunday.
On the day of the incident, Police interrogated at least 15 witnesses in connection with the suicide bomb blast.
"So far, we have interrogated 15 witnesses in connection with the bomb blast at the GBIS church," Chief of the Public Relations Division at the Indonesian Police Headquarters Anton Bachrul Alam said on Sunday.
Police would look into the motive behind the suicide bomb blast which left one person killed and 22 others injured, he said.
The Solo incident has received serious attention from the government. National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo visited the suicide bombing location in Bethel Injil Sepenuh church in Kepunton, Solo, few hours after the incident occurred.
Later on the same day, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called a limited meeting with high-ranking security officials.
The top security officials included Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Chief of the Security Maintenance Board Comr. Gen. Iman Sudjarwo, Head of the Strategic Intelligence Board (Bais) Rear Admiral Soleman B Ponto, Deputy Chief of the Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto and Chief of the State Intelligence Board Sutanto.
After the limited cabinet meeting, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto told the press that the President had condemned the bomb blast and expressed concern about the terror act.
In this connection, Djoko said, the President asked all components of the community to keep vigilance and increase social awareness in addressing any terror act.
He added the president also asked people to maintain communication with related authorities in anticipating terror attempts.
"President Yudhoyono orders the police to conduct a thorough investigation and catch the perpetrators," the minister said.
Minister Djoko Suyanto said the government strongly condemned the suicide bombing that happened at the GBIS church in Central Java, on Sunday.
"Whatever the reason behind the bombing, such action cannot be justified," the minister said here on Sunday.
Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia`s biggest Muslim organizations, strongly denounced any bomb blast, the more so if it targets a place of worship and kills and injures congregation members.
"Such an action is totally unjustifiable. It is done only by those who do not believe in God and have no sense of humanity," Din Syamsuddin said in a short message text on Sunday (Sept. 25).
Din asked all adherents of religious faiths to exercise self-restraint and not to be easily incited by those who intended to capitalize on the incident to satisfy their interests.
He also asked police to investigate the incident soon to identify the culprit and find the intellectual actor behind the bomb blast.
The Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (PB NU), the country`s largest Muslim organization, also expressed his condemnation.
"We condemn the church bombing, it is an irresponsible act," Said Aqil said when visiting the victims at Dr Oen Hospital in Solo, Tuesday (Sept 27).
The Indonesian Ulema (Muslim Scholar) Council (MUI), also blasted the suicide bombing and expressed concern for the 22 people injured in the attack.
"We condemn terrorism in the form of suicide bombing in the Solo church and are concerned about the big number of victims," MUI Chairman Amidhan said in Jakarta, Tuesday (Sept. 27).(*)
Reporter: By Fardah
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
