Police perplexed by attacks on its personnel

JAKARTA (JP): An officer of the city police's Mobile Brigade was attacked and stabbed by five unidentified men attired in combat uniforms in East Jakarta on Thursday.

Police say they are confounded by the assault on Jl. Ciracas.

Last Monday and Wednesday, three officers from the same unit also were beaten and stabbed by unidentified assailants in the area.

Victims described their attackers as well-built and with crew cuts. They said they bore military-style commander knives.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Saturday that Pvt. second class Sugeng Rianto was injured in Thursday's attack.

Based on findings of the preliminary investigation, the incident occurred at 7 p.m. when Sugeng was on his way home to the nearby Mobile Brigade housing complex in Cimanggis.

Five men stopped the public transportation vehicle he was in on Jl. Ciracas near the red-light district of Boker.

The men dragged the officer out of the vehicle and beat him before one of them stabbed him with a knife, Lubis said.

Sugeng is undergoing treatment at Soekanto Police Hospital, along with the other officers attacked earlier in the week, Lubis said.

They were identified as Pvt. second class Yusuf Antony, Pvt. second class Nawi Ritonga and Second Sgt. Yudi Supriyanto. All of them suffered serious stab wounds.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is still underway, Lubis added.

He declined comment when asked if the investigation was focusing on the possibility Army members were the assailants.

Late Thursday, a member of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) also was reportedly beaten in the same area by two men, believed to be officers from the nearby Ciracas police station.

The Army second sergeant suffered no serious wounds and immediately reported the incident to his headquarters in Cijantung.

He was escorted to the East Jakarta Police Headquarters to file a complaint. With help of local police, he reportedly identified two officers at the Ciracas station.

There were no details on any legal proceedings against the officers because neither the East Jakarta Police or Kopassus headquarters issued official statements.

Lubis said he was unaware of the incident. (emf)