Raid against terror shocks residents

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."