THREE KILLED IN POLICE STATION ATTACK IN NORTH SUMATRA

BY AHMAD FUAD YAHYA

JAKARTA, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- A small police station in Hamparan Perak, Deli
Serdang, North Sumatra was attacked last night by 12 people suspected to be
members of a terrorist group.

Three policemen were killed in the incident.

The attack was the first of its kind as terrorist groups usually targeted
foreigners in the country, said Indonesian Police Public Relations Division
chief Inspector-General Iskandar Hasan.

In the incident, the masked attackers arrived at the scene on six
motorcycles before firing a volley of shots at policemen on duty, forcing them to
run for cover while three were killed, Iskandar said when contacted Wednesday.

He said from the bullet shells found, the attackers had used pistols and AK47,
M16 and ES1 rifles.

Police believe the attack was a retaliation over the deaths of three terrorists
at the hands of police and the arrest of three others following a robbery
incident at the CIMB Niaga bank in Medan recently.

Iskandar said police were currently hunting down the attackers and remaining
robbers involved with the bank incident.

As a precautionary measure, police have stepped up security in several districts
where terrorist members had been arrested or used as hideouts such as in
Lampung, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah and Aceh.
-- BERNAMA