Police identify 5 men who launched attack on Jakarta

By Ainur Rohmah

JAKARTA

Indonesian police have identified the five men involved in this week's terror attack at Sarinah Shopping Centre complex in Jakarta -- one of whom carried out a suicide bombing.

Jakarta police spokesperson Commissioner Mohammad Iqbal told reporters Saturday that all five -- aged 25 to 42-years old -- had been identified through their fingerprints.

He said that an Ahmad Muhazan Saron had kicked off the siege by blowing himself up in a cafe, while two others had died when a bomb one of them was carrying exploded as they tried to throw it at police.

"There were five suspected terrorists, and another man is being investigated. There is the possibility of more," said Iqbal, as quoted by Antara News.

"Two died in front of Starbucks during a firefight and did not commit suicide. A bomb exploded when they attempted to throw it to the police."

Seven people -- including the militants -- were killed in Thursday's attack in the Indonesian capital's commercial district, while 30 people were injured.

Iqbal added that one of those injured in the blast had escaped injury despite being grabbed by the bomber.

"[We know that] the first blast was a suicide bombing because a witnesses said he was embraced by the perpetrator with the intention of the two men exploding together," he said.

"Fortunately he [the witness] fought him off and jumped out of the way."

Head of police Gen. Badrodin Haiti told reporters that the firearms the group used were made in the Philippines, but did not make any connection with armed groups that operate in the country's troubled southern Mindanao region.

On Saturday, police said they had now arrested 12 people in west and east Java and in Kalimantan suspected of links to the bombings.

Haiti said that police had determined that Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian national fighting with Daesh in Syria, had sent funding to Indonesia via Western Union for the group to carry out the operation.

"One of those arrested had received money transferred from ISIS [Daesh]," he said.

Police are still to reveal the identity of a man who died in a shootout with security personnel on Friday morning, raising speculation among reporters that it may be the country's most wanted, Abu Wardah Santoso, whose group -- the Indonesian East Mujahideen -- have also been linked to Daesh.

On Wednesday -- the day before the attack -- 2,000 Indonesian security personnel were deployed to the mountainous forests of Sulawesi in the latest operation aimed at catching Santoso.

"For the moment, we are still investigating and awaiting DNA test results," Central Sulawesi police Deputy Chief Commissioner Leo Bona Lubis was quoted as saying Kompas.com.

"The terrorist is not a foreigner. He is a local man."

Lubis said that Friday's shootout occurred in Ineba Mountains in Central Sulawesi, when army forces raided a hut suspected to contain members of the Daesh-linked group.