Raid against terror shocks residents

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Batu, East Java

Herawati became animated when she shared her account of the police raid on Wednesday on a house used as a hideout by fugitive Azahari bin Husin, the al-Qaeda leader for Southeast Asia.

The woman, in her 30s, said the raid would be an experience she would never forget. Herawati said she found it hard to imagine that she, a simple housewife, who is also a church activist, was part of an important raid that struck a major blow to the terrorist network across Asia.

"I shudder when I remember it. It looked like a scene out of a Hollywood movie," said Herawati whose house is located precisely behind the rented house raided by the police.

Herawati's house in the Flamboyan housing complex here was used by police to gain access to Azahari's hideout.

The mother of two recalled that the raid began when several antiterror police officers arrived at her house at 1:15 p.m. She was told that there would be a major arrest, but the police never told her who was their target.

As time went by, more police personnel surrounded the house occupied by Azahari and quickly occupied strategic positions. Some police personnel even stood in her attic while others were spread out around the house.

Herawati said she followed closely every single scene that took place in the raid, and it still makes her shudder.

She heard a police officer shout at Azahari's group that they should surrender, then somebody from the house suddenly fired a shot.

This was followed by an exchange of gunfire. Explosions were heard several times in the middle of fierce gunfire. Finally, after an hour of gunfire, a huge explosion jolted the neighborhood. "My knees were trembling," said Herawati, who was hiding in the dining room during the incident.

After the explosion, she saw several policemen clap and shake hands, signaling the operation was a success.

Shortly after, she was told by police personnel that one among the people who died in the raid was the most wanted man across Asia, Azahari. While at the time she was scared, Herawati said she felt proud that she was part of the important moment in the war against terror in the country.

A similar reaction was voiced by Ibu Salamun whose house is located precisely across the street from the house used by Azahari and his group. Salamun said she had no inkling that the men living across the street were terrorists.

"I only knew that the house was inhabited by three persons. Two introduced themselves as Budi and Yahya," she said. Yahya told her he was from Surabaya and studied at Muhammadiyah University in Malang (UMM), while Salamun had no idea what Budi was doing. Another person told her he came from Semarang and worked as a building contractor.

Salamun recalled, however, she was totally unaware that one of them could have been the fugitive Malaysian bomber Azahari.

She had no qualms about her new neighbors and even greeted and shook hands with Yahya and Budi on Idul Fitri, wishing them a happy Idul Fitri. Other neighbors also greeted Yahya and Budi for Idul Fitri, who responded warmly.

"When I remember that moment, my hair stands on end. They are now dead."