KUALA LUMPUR – Police have identified more than 20 individuals believed to be members of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Johor following the attack on the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor Bahru in the early hours of today.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said he had earlier instructed the Special Branch to track down and identify JI members in the state.
“I have also instructed the Special Branch to track down and identify JI members in this state, estimated to be more than 20 people.
“These members will be investigated regarding the attack,” he told reporters today.
He added that no arrests had been made so far.
Razarudin also said the suspect, who was in his 30s and shot dead at the scene, was also a JI member.
In response to the attack, the country’s top police officer said security would be beefed up at all police stations in Johor.
“We will increase the number of officers in the police stations and look at the lighting in the police stations, which is dark. All these will be done soon,” he added.
In addition, he said the Johor palace would also be notified about the attack and security for the royals would be heightened.
“We will also inform the menteri besar and increase protection for them. This is our responsibility now,” he added.
Police have also arrested two civilians believed to be students, aged 21 and 22, who had come to the police station at 2am, seeking advice about a sexual assault case that had happened two years ago.
“These students, a male and a female believed to be studying at the Management and Science University and a private skills training institute in Ulu Tiram, had come to the police station just before the incident.
“If the incident happened two years ago, they came to the station at 2 in the morning… that seems illogical, and we will be investigating this matter,” he added.
The country was shocked by an attack on the Ulu Tiram police station that killed two police officers and injured another this morning.
The two police officers killed were constables Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar and Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, both of whom had only joined the force less than two years ago.
Azza suffered injuries to the head and neck, believed to be from being hacked with a machete, while Syafiq had gunshot wounds on his body.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hasif Roslan, the police corporal who was also shot, is currently being treated at the state capital’s Sultan Ismail Hospital.
Following the attack, police have arrested five members of the suspect’s family, aged between 19 and 62-years-old.
According to Razarudin, the suspect is believed to have meticulously planned the attack as police found pieces of zinc, paper and cloth in his bag.
These items are believed to have been intended for use as tools for self-protection.
He also said that while the motive of the attack was not confirmed as of yet, it was believed to be to secure weapons from the police station. – May 17, 2024