Police Foil Suicide-Bombing Plan In Jakarta

By Azeman Ariffin JAKARTA, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Police Wednesday foiled the plan made by a group of four terrorists to commit suicide bombings in Jakarta this weekend. Indonesian police spokesman Rikwanto told a press conference here Wednesday that three of the terrorists were shot dead, while the other one was arrested. He said the three men were shot in a raid on a house in Kampung Babakan in Tangerang Selatan near here, this morning. According to Rikwanto, the plan was uncovered with the arrest of a man who behaved suspiciously at the Kota Tangerang area in Banten at 8am Wednesday. Upon questioning, he said the man revealed that his three accomplices were in a rented house, preparing bombs to be detonated in several places, including a police station, this weekend. Rikwanto said acting on the information, a team of Densus 88 (Indonesian Special Forces for counter-terrorism) raided the house at 9.45am and ordered the three men to surrender themselves. The suspects, however, opened fire and threw a bomb at the police, he said. Luckily, he said the bomb did not go off and in defence, the police returned fire and shot dead the three men. Following a search in the house, police also found several bombs, including a large hand grenade, which were later detonated by the bomb disposal squad. Rikwanto said the suspects were planning to commit suicide bombings by launching an attack on a police station with sharp weapons before blowing themselves up during the commotion. "They had connection with the terrorists who were arrested with homemade bombs in Bekasi recently," he said. Two weeks ago, police detained three men, including a married couple, in a house in Bekasi, and found a homemade 'rice-cooker' bomb. -- BERNAMA