TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) frontman Rizieq Shihab recalled the clash between the FPI security guards or FPI Laskar and the police at KM 50 of Cikampek toll road in the early hours of Monday, Dec. 7, which killed six group members.

Rizieq's statement was circulated via a voice recording when he spoke before an audience and was uploaded on Hendri Official YouTube channel on Wednesday, Dec. 9. FPI spokesman Munarman confirmed that it was Rizieq’s voice on the recording.

Rizieq remarked that the chronology released by the FPI regarding the incident was true. He said he was at the scene when several unknown cars tailed his entourage in the middle of the highway.

At that time, Rizieq Shihab admitted that he did not suspect that the car trying to get close to his entourage belonged to the police. “We never expected that at all, we never thought of it, let alone made accusations. What we knew was that they were bad people who wanted to harm us,” he remarked.

He also emphasized that none of his bodyguards carried weapons at the time. “None of our bodyguards were armed because we never thought we would be treated like that. [We set up] a regular family security guard,” said Rizieq.

Previously, FPI stated that after driving the snoopers’ vehicles away, two cars of Rizieq Shihab’s bodyguards were separated from the entourage and trapped with the cars that were later known to belong to the police. One car was reportedly safe, while the other one carrying six members went missing.

Jakarta Metro Police later announced that six FPI members died. In the police’s official chronology, the six people attacked the officers with firearms and bladed weapons, forcing the police officers to take the response and kill them.

Read: Police Assert Hoax in Chats about Killing Rizieq Shihab

EGI ADYATAMA