Police to Probe Motive Behind Perpetrator Planting Bomb in Mosque

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Kalimantan Police will conduct an investigation to uncover the motive behind HG, alias Iwan, 22, planting a homemade bomb in the premises of Nurul Yaqin Mosque in Kuala Pembuang, Seruyan District, Central Kalimantan.

The perpetrator was currently being detained and probed by a joint team that succeeded in uncovering the bomb planted in the courtyard of the mosque, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, the Central Kalimantan Police’s spokesman, stated here on Saturday.

"We will continue to investigate this case and expose the motives and intentions of the perpetrator in planting the bomb," he remarked.

Despite the incident, Rochmawan has called on the local residents to not panic.

"When you see suspicious people, please immediately report it to the nearest police station," he affirmed.

He believes that this will reduce the occurrence of criminal acts and activities detrimental to the community, especially since Muslims are currently fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan.

"Let us step up vigil in our respective neighborhood," he noted.

In the meantime, a police witness, identified by his initials as TH and a high school colleague of Iwan, came clean about the perpetrator having a penchant for assembling electronic devices.

"Yes, TH, his school colleague and our witness, in this matter, confirmed that Iwan did have the expertise in assembling electronic devices as well as fixing electricity goods since he was in high school," Rochmawan stated.

Earlier, the Police of Seruyan arrested Iwan, a terror suspect, who had planted a homemade bomb in the premises of Nurul Yaqin Mosque. He was placed in detention on Saturday at 4:20 a.m. local time, Seruyan Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agung Tri Widiantoro noted on Saturday.

"In the morning, we arrested the perpetrator at his residence without a fight. He was then immediately taken to the Seruyan Police Station to investigate his actions," he revealed.

The bomb was initially spotted by the mosque's guard.

According to the video capture of the CCTV installed at the mosque, the bomb was planted by a young man dressed in a T-shirt and dark shorts.

Another video capture showed Iwan riding a motorcycle and halting at a road intersection after which he walked toward the mosque.

ANTARA