Indonesia: Knifeman learned bomb-making online

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) – Indonesian security officials said Friday that a knifeman who wounded three police officers near Jakarta was a “lone wolf” attacker inspired by Daesh who learned how to make bombs from the Internet.

The chief of the National Counter Terrorism Agency said authorities are continuing to investigate Thursday’s attack, in which 21-year-old Sultan Azianzah reportedly stabbed the officers after they caught him placing a sticker with Daesh’s logo at a traffic station.

He was arrested after police shot him in the legs and stomach, but later died on the way to hospital due to blood loss.

"Obviously, we conclude that he was inspired by ISIS [Daesh], because he brought the ISIS striker and had a book containing radical content," the agency’s Suhardi Alius was quoted as saying by detik.com Friday.

According to police, Azianzah learned how to make explosives from the Internet and threw two pipe bombs at a police post during the attack, but they failed to explode.

National police spokesman Inspector Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told Anadolu Agency on Friday, “he [Azianzah] was buried early this morning."

Indonesia has been on alert against extremist activities for over a year, further heightening security measures after attacks in the capital in January killed eight people, including four Daesh-affiliated assailants.

In August, an 18-year-old arrested after trying to kill a priest was reported to have claimed to have been inspired by love for Daesh's leader in Syria and an attack by Daesh-linked knifemen in France.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has stressed that the country is on alert against any possible terror attacks as dozens of its citizens suspected of joining Daesh have returned from Syria.