27 February 2017•Update: 27 February 2017
By Ainur Rohmah
TUBAN, Indonesia
Indonesian police have shot dead a suspected extremist group member accused of detonating a bomb at a park near a government building.
Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan, a police chief in West Java province, said Monday that a shootout occurred at the scene in provincial capital Bandung.
"The suspect had detonated explosives before escaping and hiding in the office," he was quoted as saying by detik.com.
Authorities believe the suspect -- who reportedly demanded that police release a detained associate -- is a member of Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid, whose leader ordered all members to pledge allegiance to Daesh in 2014.
The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died.
Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar, national police spokesman, was quoted by kompas.com as saying, "he died because of a gunshot wound to his chest."
According to the national police chief, the suspect had earlier been arrested for participating in "militant training" in northern Aceh province in 2011 and was jailed for three years.
"At that time, about 70 people, including him, were arrested," Gen. Tito Karnavian said.
Police seized a backpack at the scene.
Indonesia has been cracking down on militant groups since the 2002 Bali bombings in which 202 people died.
The country has been on alert against extremist activities over the past year, further heightening security measures after the January 2016 attack left eight people -- including four Daesh-linked suspects -- dead in the capital.
In December, police arrested 14 people on suspicion of planning suicide bombings across the country.
