IS claims suicide attack on Jakarta bus station

Image
AFP Jakarta
Last Updated : May 26 2017 | 10:57 AM IST
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing at a Jakarta bus terminal that killed three policemen, the latest attack to hit Indonesia as it faces a surge in terror plots.
Analysts described the claim as credible and said they believed Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a local network of IS- linked militants, carried out the bombing.
Two suicide bombers attacked the busy terminal in the capital late Wednesday in a dramatic assault that sparked panic and left human body parts and shattered glass strewn across the street.
Three policemen were killed, and five other officers and five civilians injured in the bombing at the Kampung Melayu terminal. Authorities Thursday raided the houses of the suspected bombers, and found Islamic teaching materials and bladed weapons.
IS propaganda agency Amaq said late Thursday that the "attack on the Indonesian police gathering in the city of Jakarta was carried out by one of the fighters of the Islamic State", in a statement carried by the SITE Intelligence Group.
Hundreds of radicals from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, have flocked abroad to fight with IS, and the country has seen a surge in plots and attacks linked to the jihadists over the past year.
Police have said they believe that IS is linked to the attack, but have given no further details. They would not comment directly on the IS claim of responsibility.
Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones, who heads think-tank the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, described the claim as "very credible".
She said she believed that the branch of JAD based in Bandung, a city on the main island of Java, had carried out the bombing.
Al Chaidar, a terrorism expert from the University of Malikussaleh in Indonesia's Aceh province, said he also thought the claim credible.
JAD was designated a terrorist organisation by the United States in January, which said the network was an umbrella group for about two dozen extremist outfits.
Some have pointed the finger at the group for carrying out a suicide and gun attack in Jakarta in January last year that left four assailants and four civilians dead, and was also claimed by IS.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 26 2017 | 10:57 AM IST

Next Story