The Police, a Decade-Long Terror Target

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

Officers stand guard at the entrance of Medan Police Station in North Sumatera after a suicide bombing act that occurred at the police station on Wednesday (13/11/2019) morning. In the afternoon the service had returned to normal.

The year 2010 is a benchmark in terror targets, when terrorists began targeting the police. Yesterday, a young man detonated a suicide bomb at Medan Municipal Police headquarters.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The suicide bombing on Wednesday (13/11/2019) on the Medan Police headquarters in North Sumatra carried out by RMN, 24, has added to the list of Indonesian police that have been targeted in terror acts. These attacks targeting the police are part and parcel of terrorist groups labeling the police as legitimate targets.

The police are expected to heighten security measures for their offices and personnel in response to the increased threat. They have also been pushed to take firm action against those networks linked to perpetrators. It is also expected that the public will actively contribute to support the antiterror effort.

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin said that terrorist attacks like the one that occurred at the Medan Police headquarters yesterday was a sign for increased public vigilance. The Vice President further pointed out that the government had optimized all available instruments to be on the lookout for possible terror acts. Vigilance was necessary to nip the reemergence of terrorism in the bud.

RMN, 24, blew himself up at around 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday outside a canteen beside the police records administration office at Medan Police headquarters. The device was a shrapnel bomb loaded with metal shards and nails of different sizes. RMN was killed in the blast, which also injured six people: four policemen, a civil servant and a civilian.

National Police chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said RMN was a lone-actor terrorist. A team from the police’s Antiterrorist Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) is investigating the possibility that RMN had ties to the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) network of North Sumatra.

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

A police line bars entry to a rented house on Wednesday (13/11/2019) on Gg. Melati in Tanah Enamratus village, Medan Marelan, North Sumatra. Police searched and confiscated a number of items from the residence of RMN, the alleged perpetrator of the suicide attack on Medan Police Station early that morning.

Dedi stressed that the police had taken several measures to anticipate acts of terror, especially those targeting police stations and policemen. “The principle is that the tighter control does not disrupt public services at police stations,” he said.

Prior to and following the bombing attack on the Medan Police headquarters, the police have made several arrests of alleged terrorists in regions such as Banten, Riau, Depok and Bekasi.

Shift in terror targets

Before 2010, local terrorist movements targeted foreign nationals and symbols. Since 2010, however, terrorist networks have shown a change in their targets, which now includes the police. The shift is believed to be the influence of terror convict Aman Abdurrachman, as well as other elements.

Aman was imprisoned in 2005-2008 for terrorism after an explosion occurred at his rented house in Depok, West Java. He called for a change in terror targets from foreign nationals to the police through his lectures and books.

Aman’s hatred of the National Police is inseparable from Densus 88’s arrest in 2010 of a number of terrorists who were being trained in Aceh. In March 2010, Aman was captured for financing the training camp (Kompas, 27 May 2017).

Aman had joined JAT before forming JAD in 2014, and was a respected figures in the JAT network.

A series of terror attacks targeting the police in several regions with suspected ties to terror networks occurred in March 2010, April 2010 and September 2010. Several police officers were shot dead. The following year on April 15, the Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) terror group carried out its first suicide bombing attack at the Adz-Zikro Mosque of the Cirebon Municipal Police in West Java. Aman had joined JAT before forming JAD in 2014, and was a respected figures in the JAT network.

The attacks have targeted police officers and facilities because the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and particularly the JAD, regards the police as violating their religious beliefs and must be destroyed. The National Police have been targeted for leading the “hunt” against terrorist networks.

Kompas Research and Development data shows that 18 terrorist attacks against the police have occurred from 2010 to 13 Nov. 2019, including the latest suicide bombing targeting the Medan Police.

Perpetrator was ‘introvert’

The police on Wednesday visited several residences in Medan suspected of having links with RMN, including the residences of his parents, his parents-in-law and RMN’s rental house.

Hamdan, a cousin, said that RMN was an introvert and had become more pious over the past few years. “He liked hanging out before, and then he stopped,” he added.

After RMN married D, he moved out of his parents’ house in West Sei Putih subdistrict, Medan Petisah district. The head of West Sei Putih area III said that RMN had lived at the family home since he was a child, but moved to his own residence after getting married last year. He worked as a ride-hailing ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver.

Local residents crowded the area to watch the search from a distance.

RMN lived with his wife in a rented house in Tanah Enamratus subdistrict, Medan Marelan district. The police searched the residence and confiscated books, sharp weapons and cut lengths of PVC pipe. Local residents crowded the area to watch the search from a distance.

Uncovering offender

National Police Commission secretary and former Densus 88 chief Bekto Suprapto stressed that while police officers should continue to follow established safety and security procedures, the Densus 88 team should quickly uncover the main perpetrator. He said that the long actor could not be separated from the terrorist network that was behind the attack. Bekto added that identifying the device RMN used would be a decisive factor in exposing the terrorist network.

“Every bomb has a signature that can be used to determine which terror group is involved in the incident,” he said.

Likewise, the anger caused by the tyranny that persisted in various parts of the world must also be mitigated immediately, as should inequality and injustice.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, former vice president Jusuf Kalla said that the teachings and knowledge of wasatiyyahatau (moderate) Islam should be inculcated among all components of the nation to combat extremist and radical acts like suicide bombings. Likewise, the anger caused by the tyranny that persisted in various parts of the world must also be mitigated immediately, as should inequality and injustice. (LAS/SAN/HAR/NTA/WSI/TAM/RTG/NIK/SAYA/ETA/RWN)