Jakarta prison riot ends in bloodshed as questions raised about how prisoners got weapons

IT may be over, but how prisoners behind a deadly prison riot in Indonesia got hold of weapons and “sadistically slaughtered” elite counter-terror police is still unknown. WARNING: Graphic

WARNING: Graphic content

TERRORIST prisoners behind a deadly prison riot in Indonesia held elite counter-terror police hostage, tortured them and “sadistically slaughtered” five officers by slitting their throats, authorities in Jakarta said today as a siege in the prison came to an end.

The 36-hour stand-off, at the Brimob paramilitary police headquarters in Jakarta ended at 7.15am local time today after authorities gave the prisoners an ultimatum — surrender or face attack.

And it was revealed that the weapons the prisoners had used during the rampage were firearms seized and held by police during earlier terrorist operations. They had also got their hands on bomb-making materials, seized by police, and made crude bombs inside the jail.

Serious questions are now being asked as to how terrorist prisoners and suspects, in one of Indonesia’s highest security jails, managed to get their hands on the weapons and bomb-making material and hold police hostage.

It has now been revealed that the five dead officers, from the country’s elite counter-terror squad known as Densus 88, all had their throats cut.

Indonesia’s deputy national police chief, Syafruddin, today said the police officers had been “sadistically slaughtered” by the terrorists.

Syafruddin said that 156 terrorist prisoners and those awaiting trial as suspects, held in the jail inside the Brimob headquarters, had held nine Detachment 88 officers hostage, murdered five of them and injured four. One terrorist prisoner was also killed.

Indonesian policemen patrol outside of the mobile brigade headquarter that houses the prison where clashes occurred in Depok, West Java. Picture: AFP

Syafruddin apologised to the Indonesian people and the dead police officer’s families.

The Islamic State terrorist group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack and a series of gruesome images, purportedly from inside the prison during the siege, have circulated on radical social media. Police have warned against believing the images are from this siege and have today not commented on their authencity.

Syafruddin said that 156 prisoners had surrendered this morning and there had been no further casualties.

Brimob chief, Rudy Sufahriadi, also revealed today that he prisoners had got their hands on bomb-making material which had been seized by police during earlier raids. He said sounds of explosions were police breaking a wall down during the siege.

“We allege that they had bombs … it was evidence, bomb material, stored by Densus investigators in the interrogation room. They took it and used it to make bombs,” Sufahriadi said.

He said there were many bombs and the sounds of explosions emanating from the prison were the result of police blowing them up and breaching a wall.

Indonesia’s co-ordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, General Wiranto, urged his fellow Indonesians to unite in the fight against terrorism and radicalism that has disturbed their lives.

Armed officers walk past roadblock erected outside the headquarters of Mobile Brigade, an elite Indonesian police force, following a riot at the detention centre inside the compound in Depok, West Java. Picture: AP

Wiranto said that many important international events were planned for Indonesia this year, World Bank and IMF meetings, the Asian Games and regional elections. And next year the country goes to the polls to elect a new a new Parliament and President.

“This incident is a lesson for us that we cannot be careless, cannot lose our alertness in facing terrorist acts and radicalism. This country needs serenity, needs stability … needs a feeling of peace. Let’s not blame each other. Let us raise our alertness, uniting to fight against terrorism and radicalism which may disturb our lives,” Wiranto said.

He said police had not negotiated with the prisoners but given them an ultimatum, surrender this morning or face an assault from police. Shortly before dawn the surrender began.

Wiranto did not hold back in describing the prisoners behind the riot and deaths.

“The perpetrators of the riot that we were facing are terrorists inside prison, who should realise their wrongdoing. Instead they committed cruelty by robbing weapons, holding hostage, torture and even murdering police, cruelly and beyond the limits of humanity,” Wiranto said.

General Wiranto has called for calm. Picture: AFP

He said Indonesia’s President, Joko Widodo, had sent a message thanking everyone involved in the operation and calling for prayers for the five slain officers.

Indonesia’s prisons have long been a hotbed of corruption. Back in November last year raids on the same jail complex had uncovered contraband mobile phones among terrorist suspects.

The man believed to be Indonesia’s leading extremist and radical ideologue, Aman Abdurrahman, is held at the prison complex. He is currently on trial in Jakarta, accused of masterminding a series of deadly terror attacks in Indonesia, including the 2016 attacks on a Starbucks cafe which left eight people dead, including four terrorists.

Abdurrahman is accused of masterminding the terror attacks from inside his jail cell where he was already served terror-related sentences, further highlighting the problems within the country’s prisons. His trial is ongoing.