Two suspected suicide bombers have killed three Indonesian police officers and injured ten people in Wednesday night's terrorist attack at Jakarta's Kampung Melayu terminal. According to the initial investigation, the blasts were detonated five minutes apart, instantly killing the officers while injuring many other people.
Indonesia's National Police spokesman, Setyo Wasisto said that two suspects set off the bombs while the officers were on duty to guard a nearby parade. He added that the blasts also hit five officers and five civilians. The nation has already suffered a series of attacks by alleged ISIS sympathizers in the last 17 months, but its government is still investigating the attack to confirm if it is linked to the terrorist organization.
Two suspects were both males
According to reports, the two suspects were both males. Investigators refused to divulge their identities for the sake of the investigation. Wasisto said that the suicide bombers used pressure cookers to pack the explosives, a similar technique used in February's Bandung bombing in which the attacker is suspected to have links to a radical group that is sympathetic to ISIS.
Indonesian authorities are worried about the surge of radicalism driven by a new generation of Islamic militants that is inspired by ISIS. In January 2016, a group of militants killed four civilians in Jakarta. Moreover, the government believes that about 400 Indonesians have joined ISIS in Syria, a threat that can cause more harm once they get back on home soil.
After the attack, heavily armed police gathered around the area to secure the situation. Bomb disposal officers were nearby to examine the blast site, Transport Minister Budi Karya, expressed his sentiments by asking his staff to increase vigilance on Jakarta's transport network.
Kpd pengelola fasilitas transportasi publik sy minta tingkatkan kwspdaan, lakukan pengamanan ekstra ketat, perkuat koord dgn kepolisian.-BKS
— Budi Karya Sumadi (@BudiKaryaS) May 24, 2017
Other attacks
Manchester, England also suffered one of its worst terrorist attacks when a bomb exploded during Ariana Grande's concert.
A British citizen of Libyan descent killed 22 people and injured dozens more on Monday. ISIS has claimed the attack in a city that has 80,000 Muslim residents.
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has already declared martial law in the southern island of Mindanao after ISIS sympathizers overrun Marawi City, the capital city of the province of Lanao Del Sur.
In the ensuing firefight, the Maute Group killed five government soldiers and wounded 31 others. Wesmincom Commander Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement that they killed 13 militants and rescued 120 hostages during the siege.
The tension started when several Maute members occupied the city on May 23, burning down colleges and other vital installations. The group also freed 107 inmates from two Marawi City jails, reports of killed civilians are still awaiting confirmation.
