Suspected terrorists kill three police officers in Deli Serdang

An armed group consisting of 12 to 14 people, who were believed to be terrorists, attacked Hamparan Perak police station in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, early on Wednesday, fatally shooting three police officers.

The attack took place at 00:30 a.m., destroying the police station, apparently in retaliation to a raid on the hideout of alleged terrorists by anti-terror Police Detachment 88 on Sunday.

In Sunday’s raid, one of the terrorists was shot dead.

"Although we have not got clear proof yet, early indications show that the attack was likely related to the raid on the hideout of alleged terrorists," North Sumatra police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar told public radio station RRI.

Based on projectiles found at the location, Baharuddin said, the attackers likely used AK-16 and FN pistol the same weapons used by robbers who held up a Medan branch of the CIMB Niaga bank last month in which a police officer was shot dead.

The police link the deadly Medan bank heist to terrorists. The police's Detachment 88 have arrested a total of 20 suspected terrorists during the past few days and shot dead three other suspects.

Bharuddin said that there were four police officers inside the Hamparan Perak police station when the attackers arrived and shot randomly at the police station. The attackers entered the police station and shot dead three of the four officers.

One prisoner held at the police station said one attacker shot dead one policeman on duty in front of the prison cell and left without saying anything, Baharuddin said.

He said the police were currently hunting down the attackers.
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