A man suspected of being influenced by the Islamic State (IS) was seriously wounded after his device exploded outside a police post in Indonesia's Central Java province, authorities said on Tuesday (June 4).
Referring to the incident as a suicide bombing with a low-grade explosive, the national police spokesperson Dedi Prastyo said that seven police officers were at the post in Sukoharjo district at the time of the blast but no casualties were reported.
Further, he added that the 22-year-old suspect was admitted to a hospital after sustaining injuries in his right hand and abdomen. "If he fully recovers, we will investigate further into his motive," he said.
Multiple photos were doing rounds on the internet which showed a man lying by the side of the road in a pool of blood. Later, he was rushed to a hospital in a police van.
TRAC INCIDENT REPORT: Suicide Bomber at Police Security Post in #Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java province, #Indonesia - 03 June 2019 (30th Day of Ramadan)https://t.co/i2G8ysWjj9 pic.twitter.com/CFvC7azvKI
— TRACterrorism.org (@TRACterrorism) June 3, 2019
Over 160,000 security personnel were deployed by the authorities as Muslims all over the world are celebrating Ramadan. However, an alert has been issued for possible terror attacks by the police last week.
As the world's biggest Muslim-majority country is gearing up to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the counter-terrorism police unit has detained hundreds of suspected militants.
The latest development came after a series of suicide bombings at churches and police stations in the city of Surabaya which killed more than 30 people back in 2018.
Meanwhile, over hundreds of Indonesians have travelled to the Middle East to join the Islamic State. Authorities fear about returnees causing major disruptions by spreading the radical ideology.
(With inputs from agencies)
