Jakarta – The National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad shot dead on Monday two individuals who were allegedly involved in the shooting of two police officers on the Kanci-Pejagan toll road near Cirebon, West Java.
"Two suspects, identified by the initials IA and RS, resisted arrest and tried to shoot police officers. Therefore, we took a tough and measured action [to shoot them]," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said on Monday as quoted by Antara.
RS reportedly was a member of the Cirebon chapter of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a homegrown terror group that was recently banned. The police suspected it was a revenge attack over the arrest in July of RS' in-law for alleged involvement with the JAD.
In Monday's operation, two others were arrested on suspicion that they assisted the main suspects during the shooting on Aug. 24.
At that time, two traffic officers, First Adj. Insp. Dodon Kusdianto and First Adj. Insp. Widi Harjana, were conducting a routine patrol on the Kanci-Pejagan toll road when they encountered three men sitting on the side of the toll road.
The officers, thinking that the men needed assistance, stopped to help but were shot at by one of the suspects as they approached. Dodon died in a hospital several days later, while Widi has shown signs of improvement after being treated.
The police also arrested three other suspects on Sunday. "Several individuals allegedly indirectly involved with the shooting are still at large," Setyo said. (kuk/ipa)