Islamic militants claim deadly Indonesian prison riot

Officers have been killed in a riot at a police detention centre on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

Indonesian police officers patrol outside a prison in Depok, West Java, following a riot.

Indonesian police officers patrol outside a prison in Depok, West Java, following a riot. Source: AFP

Islamic militants are claiming to have killed up to 10 police officers during a riot at a detention centre in a city near Indonesia's capital which houses terror suspects. 

The riot happened in Depok, on Jakarta's southern outskirts, where four days earlier police arrested three Islamic militants they say planned to attack the headquarters and other police stations in the same town.

The Islamic State group's Amaq News Agency published a report saying the fighting that broke out at the prison late on Tuesday was between its fighters and the counterterrorism squad.

A counterterrorism investigator said in a text message that six officers had been taken hostage by the inmates, and five of them were killed. One other officer was still being held captive. The death toll has not been confirmed.

Images purportedly depicting the riot showing armed men in Islamic State clothing with an IS flag have been circulating on social media. IS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Four police officers were injured and were being treated at a hospital, said an investigator, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

Earlier in the day, national police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal told reporters outside the headquarters of the elite Mobile Brigade police in Depok that some people from both sides were injured, but didn't give a number.

Unconfirmed reports said the riot began when some terrorist detainees tried to grab weapons from guards on the counterterrorism squad.

"It was just triggered by a trivial thing, about food from families," Iqbal said.




The inmates reportedly pushed an iron trellis until it broke before taking long-barreled weapons and breaking through the ammunition room inside the detention building. That led to a shoot-out between the inmates and counterterrorism officers.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has carried out a sustained crackdown on Islamic militants since the 2002 Bali bombings by Jemaah Islamiah network that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

The network was neutralised following the arrests of hundreds of its militants and leaders.

But new threats have emerged recently from Islamic State group-inspired radicals who have targeted security forces and local "infidels" instead of Westerners.


Share
3 min read

Published

Updated



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world