Suicide bomber kills police officer, wounds 10 others in Indonesia

(HRNW) – A suicide bomber killed a police officer and wounded 10 others in an attack on a police station in Indonesia’s West Java province on Wednesday, police said.

Police have not yet determined a motive for the attack but Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, has long struggled with Islamist militancy.

The blast occurred at about 8 am local time (0100 GMT) during roll call at the Astana Anyar police office in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s most populous province.

“When our officers were doing the morning roll call, a man tried to enter the office forcibly and officers tried to stop him,” said West Java police chief Suntana, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“The perpetrator insisted on getting closer to our officers while wielding a knife and suddenly an explosion happened,” he told reporters.

A second device was later found nearby and safely detonated by the police bomb squad, Suntana said.

A civilian who was passing the area was among the wounded, who were mostly hit by shattered glass and debris, from the main blast, he said.

The identity of the attacker, who was also killed, is not yet known.