Suspect in Ulu Tiram police station attack linked to Jemaah Islamiyah - IGP

The man who killed two police officers and injured another during an early morning attack at Ulu Tiram police station in Johor has been identified as having a link to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group, according to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain.

Police suspected the 22-year-old man had pre-planned and launched the attack to get his hands on firearms kept at the station, but police have yet to ascertain the suspect's agenda behind the plan.

Razarudin said the suspect’s five family members had been arrested during a raid at their house.

"I have also instructed the Special Branch to identify all JI members in Johor and pick them up for investigation," he told reporters in Johor.

Police have also arrested two students - one male aged 22 and one female aged 21 - who visited the station not long before the attack, which occurred at 2.45am.

According to Razarudin, the students went there on the pretext of getting police advice on a sexual assault they claimed happened about two years ago.

When the two were lodging their reports, the attacker entered the station on a motorcycle and went straight to the rear side of the premises.

One officer went to check but he was slashed with a machete instead. The attacker then picked up the officer’s firearm.

Suspect shot and killed

"Patrol unit officers who had just returned to the station were informed about the attack and immediately searched for the suspect.

"This was when a shootout occurred, and a patrol officer was killed after being shot in the head by the suspect.

"Another officer managed to shoot the suspect, which killed him," Razarudin said.

He also said the police suspected that the students were accomplices, as it was illogical for them to visit the station at that hour to report an incident that happened two years ago.

Meanwhile, Razarudin believed it was a pre-meditated attack as they found a bag stuffed with zinc plates, clothes and papers that the man had used as a shield during the shootout.

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