THE suspect who stormed the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor Bahru early this morning, killing two policemen and injuring another, is believed to have links to Southeast Asian extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, five members of the suspect’s family have been arrested to assist in the investigation into the attack, Bernama reported.
The masked suspect, reported to be a 34-year-old local, had entered the police station under the Seri Alam district police headquarters with a mask on at about 2.45am.
He then used a parang to attack and kill one of two policemen manning the duty counter, before snatching the victim’s service weapon and shooting the other policeman several times.
A third policeman returning from a crime prevention patrol was also attacked, but managed to shoot and kill the attacker.
Following the incident, the police seized a Walther P99 pistol and a HK MP5 rifle from the suspect.
Jemaah Islamiyah was behind the 2002 bomb attacks in Bali that killed over 200 people. More bombings targeted the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta in 2009.
Its members reportedly received military training in Afghanistan during the 1990s, and the group is alleged to have ties with Al-Qaeda. – May 17, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
