Suspect, family kept to themselves in commune, say nearby residents

 

The commune where the suspect lived is only 7km from the Ulu Tiram police station.

PETALING JAYA: The family of the suspect behind this morning’s attack at the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor reportedly live in a closed-off commune and kept to themselves.

A masked man attacked the police station at about 2.45am armed with a gun and a parang, killing two policemen and injuring another before being shot dead at the scene.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the man is believed to have been a member of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Five of his family members were arrested to assist in the investigation into the attack.

Checks at the family’s residence at Jalan Rabani in Kampung Sungai Tiram, 7km from the police station, showed that the area is a private gated residence with a “no entry” sign at the front.

Fauzi Faizal, a Johor Bahru city councillor for the Tiram zone, said the man lived among 18 families in a commune separated from the rest of the village. He said the commune was set up 20 years ago.

Fauzi also said the man was among four siblings who did not go to school and was believed to have been educated by their father.

“It is believed that the siblings did not receive formal education and were educated by their father, possibly with extremist teachings,” he said.

“As residents, we are concerned about this incident, but we are confident the police will be able to prevent such things from happening again.”

Kampung Ulu Tiram village chief Shazrul Idham Aziz said today’s attack has troubled the residents.

He also hopes the police will conduct a detailed investigation and ensure the peace and harmony of the village is maintained.

Police said the two policemen killed in the attack – constables Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar and Syafiq Ahmad Said – joined the force less than two years ago.

Police recovered a Walther P99 pistol and a HK MP5 rifle from the suspect.

Razarudin also said police had identified more than 20 Jemaah Islamiyah members in Johor following today’s attack.

Jemaah Islamiyah was behind the 2002 bomb attacks in Bali that killed more than 200 people. More bombings targeted the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta in 2009.

Its members reportedly received military training in Afghanistan during the 1990s, and the group is alleged to have ties with Al-Qaeda. - FMT