An Indonesian Muslim woman holds a poster outside a Starbucks cafe where Thursday’s attack took place in Jakarta
One of the eight men killed in an audacious attack by Muslim militants in the heart of Indonesia’s capital was a civilian and not one of the bombers as first thought, police said yesterday.
The victim, 43-year-old Sugito, was suspected of involvement because he crossed the road to a traffic police post next to Dian Joni Kurniadi, one of four confirmed attackers, Jakarta police spokesman Col. Muhammad Iqbal said.
Sugito, who uses one name like many Indonesians, was one of four civilians killed in Thursday’s attacks by suicide bombers and gunmen who targeted a Starbucks cafe and the traffic police post in bustling central Jakarta. More than 20 people were wounded.
It was the first major assault by militants in Indonesia since 2009. Police said the attackers were tied to the Islamic State group through Muhammad Bahrunnaim, an Indonesian fighting with IS in Syria.
Iqbal told reporters that a thorough police investigation into Sugito’s records concluded he was an ordinary resident of West Java’s Karawang city. Police are still investigating whether Kurniadi was the attacker who blew himself up at the traffic police post, killing two civilians and badly injuring a police officer.
Two attackers had known militant backgrounds: Afif Sunakin, who in 2010 was sentenced to seven years in jail for his involvement in militant training in Aceh province, but was released early; and Muhammad Ali, who was sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison for robbing a bank to finance extremist activities. Police identified the fourth attacker as Ahmad Muhazan Saron, who blew himself up inside the Starbucks.
The other civilians killed were Canadian Amer Quali Tahar and Jakarta residents Rico Hermawan and Rais Karna, who died of his injuries Saturday. Police have arrested 12 people suspected of links to Thursday attacks and are searching for others. Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, AP
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