Police officer wounded in attack

JAKARTA (JP): A traffic police officer was assaulted by four unidentified men wearing military uniforms in front of a hotel on Jl. Raya Bogor-Cimanggis on late Wednesday.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Thursday the wounded officer was identified as second class Sgt. Agus.

The attack took place at around 11:30 p.m. as Agus was sitting in front of the hotel talking with two people.

Two motorcycles stopped in front of the group and four men, without saying a word, attacked Agus.

"We believe the attackers planned and prepared the assault," Lubis said.

The four men were armed with sticks which they used to beat the police officer.

The attack ended only after Agus was unconscious. The attackers then left the scene on their motorcycles in the direction of Depok, Lubis said.

The assault was witnessed by a number of people, but none of them intervened because they thought the attackers were soldiers.

"We have questioned the people who witnessed the incident," Lubis said.

Agus was taken to Soekanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati for medical treatment and was discharged some hours later.

Wednesday's assault raised the number of police officers attacked by unknown persons to three this year.

The attacks on the officers were reportedly committed by men with crew cuts who wore military shirts. (emf)