Indonesia police station blast kills two in suspected suicide attack

Indonesian authorities said on Wednesday (Dec 7) that two people were killed and several others wounded when a suspected militant carrying a knife blew himself up shortly after entering a police station in the city of Bandung.

The attack was reportedly carried out by a suicide bomber, with no indications yet of any possible motive.

Ahmad Ramadhan, head of the public information bureau for the National Police, said Bandung police were coordinating with the counter-terrorism unit with investigations underway.

The Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) group may have been behind the attack, Ibnu Suhendra of Indonesia’s counterterrorism agency (BNPT) said. He said JAD had carried out similar attacks in Indonesia.

The attack killed the suspected perpetrator and one officer and wounded eight others, including other officers and one civilian, Ibrahim Tompo, a spokesperson for the West Java police, said.

Bandung police official Aswin Sipayung said that the explosion occurred just after the man with the knife went into the police building at about 8.20 am (9.20 am, Singapore time).

“A man trespassed while wielding a sharp weapon, he was trying to get through to the police doing the roll call,” Bandung police chief Aswin Sipayung said.

The suicide bomber then detonated his device, killing himself and wounding the three officers, he said.

Agencies