Jakarta Police Gun Down 6 Alleged FPI Members on Outskirts of Capital

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian National Police is heading for a showdown with the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) as policemen from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police shot dead six suspected members of the controversial vigilante organization on Monday, December 7.

Jakarta Metropolitan Chief Inspector General Fadil Imran announced that the shootout occurred on a toll road outside of the capital. He noted that the incident is related to FPI head Rizieq Shihab’s scheduled summons to the Jakarta Police the same day.

“Investigators tailed a vehicle suspected of carrying up to 10 FPI members after they received a tip that [FPI head] Rizieq Shihab’s supporters will back him during his scheduled summons by the police,” Fadil said in a press conference at Kramat Jati Police Hospital.

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“The suspects then tried to force the policemen’s car off the road before they got off their vehicle with weapons drawn and approached our men with harmful intent. The investigators were forced to open fire in self-defense, killing six of them.”

He added that the rest of the group escaped and are still at large.

Fadil showed the katana swords and two pistols confiscated from the FPI. “The firearms are real, not improvised. They were used during the incident,” he asserted.

Fadil also vowed to take stern actions against any parties who will try to obstruct the police during their investigations.

The FPI denied their complicity in the incident. “The weapons shown by the police do not belong [to the FPI] as we never had any firearms,” said the group’s secretary Munarman.

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