Indonesia Police Detain Woman Carrying Gun Outside Presidential Palace

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian authorities detained on Tuesday, Oct. 25, a woman carrying a gun outside the presidential palace in Jakarta, though the country's leader was not there at the time and there were no injuries, officials said.

The incident had happened at about 7:00 am local time, said a presidential official, Ali Mochtar Ngabalin.

Ali said that the woman had not entered the palace compound and that President Joko Widodo was not present.

She was wearing a niqab, or the full-face Islamic veil, and was carrying the Koran, Ali said.

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The woman who he said appeared to be in her twenties had been apprehended by security officers after brandishing the gun near the palace, he added.

Jakarta Police traffic director Police Commissioner (Kombes) Latif Usman said that the woman, whose identity was unknown, was arrested and questioned by investigators.

Latif said the woman pointed a gun at the members of the Presidential Security Detail who stand guard in front of the palace.

Some traffic police members who were on duty nearby immediately approached her and took the weapon she was holding.

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“Yes, that’s right. It [the incident] happened near the State Palace on Jalan Merdeka Utara. The police members said she was carrying a gun and pointed it at the Presidential Security Detail. The police members immediately took the gun from her,” Latif said on Tuesday.

Indonesia, which is the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, has previously suffered attacks carried out by Islamic militants, sometimes targeting government officials and security forces.

(Writer: Tria Sutrisna | Editor: Ihsanuddin)

Sources: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2022/10/25/09533851/seorang-perempuan-ditangkap-karena-todong-pistol-ke-paspampres-dan-coba.

Reuters News Agency