Police shoot at men in Jakarta Airport attack

[Pieter C. 5]

Police Shoot At Men In Jakarta Airport Attack

 

September 30, 2009

 

Indonesian police opened fire on three cars after an altercation involving men with weapons at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport on Wednesday, according to an airport official said.

 

"The information I received was that there were three cars, suddenly the passengers got out and attacked the counter for Sriwijaya Air and then left," Tahoma Sirait, head of operations at Soekarno-Hatta airport said.

 

"Airport police then chased them and warned them to surrender their weapons but they didn't, so the police shot at the cars."

 

Police could not be reached for further details about the attack or any casualties. The reason for the attack was not clear.

 

Sirait said he was told that the men were carrying knives or swords. Local media reported that there was blood visible on the street outside the airport.

 

Security is tight across the country after suicide bombers attacked two luxury hotels in Jakarta in July, killing nine and injuring over 50. The mastermind of those and other earlier attacks, Noordin Muhammad Top, was killed earlier this month.

 

(Reuters)

 

No doubt, Azizul knows the exact spot...

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

No doubt, Azizul knows the exact spot.

The attack/commotion could be well taken place here:

 

 

The Swirijaya Air Ticketing Counter is right in the middle (red counter), to the right side of Express Air's counter. This is another view of the area, which is next to the security check point to enter the main check-in area of Terminal 1B of CGK.

 

 

I wonder what did those security staff in blue done during the incident, their initial reactions I mean because there's always a huge crowd there.

 

 

See... someone (the innocent public) might get hurt. I even have spent a night sleeping on the bench there alone!

 

 

With such tight security to enter the road leading to the terminals (car boot opened, metal detectors with mirrow for cars, continuos police patrols 24-7 on feet and cars along the curbside area and such), what were those criminals thinking if they were actually robbing the Sriwijaya Ticketing counter. I mean what could you possibly get the most from robbing a ticketing office of a medium size LCC?

[Ryan Soh 3]

I seriously doubt robbery was the motive for this incident. Have they set up road blocks along the Cengkareng tollway to inspect cars recently? My experiences with these supposedly road blocks in Jakarta were just merely "for show" or presence and those polisi were just goping through the motion. "Pak... Pak... terima kasih pak..." and off we went.

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

The roadblocks are conducted at the entrance towards the terminal's curbside/drop off area. There are 2 lines, the inner one for public taxis/shuttle bus while the outer line for private cars leading towards the open parking bays. Those entering the inner line, taxis for example, will be asked to stop, boot opened, under carriage screened with metal detectors while the passengers' window will be lowered or door opened for the policemen to see/inspect the passengers. The procedure for the taxis at the airport is identical to the same as practiced at big malls and five star hotels in downtown Jakarta.

 

Indoflyer.Net suggested that the incident was an act of violence (someone might hire preman/gangsters to hit someone at the Sriwijaya Office because of revenge or some dissatisfactions or something). You know la our dearest fellow Indonesians...