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Medan police station targeted by suicide bomber in suspected terror attack
Cindy Wockner
Wednesday, 13 November 2019 1:22 pm
Suspected suicide bombing strikes Indonesia police headquarters
A suicide bomber has struck an Indonesian police station, blowing himself up on Wednesday morning.
The bomber died in the explosion at Medan police station on Sumatra, which also injured five police officers and one civilian.
Watch the video above
Anti-terror police are now working to identify the man and his affiliations and to ascertain how his bomb was detonated and what kind of explosive was involved.
The last major suicide bombing in Indonesia was May 2018 when three families, including their young children, bombed churches in Surabaya, the capital of East Java, and the police headquarters.
And last month, Indonesia's chief security minister, Wiranto, was stabbed during a work visit to Banten province in Java. Police said that attack was inspired by an Islamic State member.
Waiting to strike
Indonesia's national police spokesperson, M Iqbal, said the attack occurred after 8am local time today, after the traditional morning briefing of police.
"The perpetrator was allegedly walking in the field where the morning briefing was held," Iqbal said.
"Later on, the perpetrator blew himself up. We don't yet about the circuit of that explosion, whether it is high explosive or what.
"Our team is still working to investigate.
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"The perpetrator allegedly died. There are six victims injured, five police and one civilian.
"Alhamdulilah (thank God) there are no victims with severe injuries.
"Several police vehicles got damaged.''
Iqbal said the anti-terror squad, Densus 88, and Medan police were working to uncover whether the perpetrator was related to any terrorist ring.
Breaching security
Video from the scene showed panicked people running away and screaming in the aftermath of the explosion, in the car parking area of the police station.
Other images showed a mangled body of the suicide bomber lying on the ground, beside a police truck.
It is not known how the bomber breached security at the police station, which is normally high, and entered the compound with a bomb.
Indonesia has long been a hotbed of extremism.
Authorities are struggling to stay on top of the large numbers of their nationals who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State within the country and those who have returned from stints in Syria.
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