Five dead in attack on Indonesian police headquarters

By Ainur Rohmah

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - Indonesian police fatally shot four suspected militants Wednesday when they attacked a police headquarters in Riau province.

Riau Police Chief Inspector General Nandan said a group of suspected militants crashed a car into the gate of the headquarters around 9 a.m.

"Four of them got out of the car and tried to fight a group of police with samurai swords," Nandan, who uses only one name, said in a live interview with local television station TV One.

Five people died in the attack, including the four suspected militants and a police officer who was hit by the car. Another police officer and a journalist were also wounded in the sword attack.

Police fielded a bomb squad team to inspect the attackers' car. They are now pursuing a militant who had escaped.

A number of terrorist attacks have occurred in Indonesia in recent days targeting churches and police stations. At least 26 people died in a series of terror attacks in Surabaya on Sunday and Monday, including 13 militants and their children.

Police shot a militant and arrested at least 13 others in a series of raids following the Surabaya attack.