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Christmas terror plot suspects killed by Indonesian police in shoot-out

 

By Indonesia correspondent Adam Harvey

Police in the Indonesian capital have killed three suspected terrorists who were allegedly planning an attack over the Christmas and New Year period.

Anti-terror police with the Densus 88 unit raided a house in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta, and killed three people during what they described as a shoot-out.

Another person in the house survived and was arrested.

Police said they found explosives that were ready to be detonated.

The bomb squad is at the scene.

Authorities said the terror cell was connected to a group arrested 10 days ago in Jakarta that was planning a suicide attack at the gates of Indonesia’s State Palace.

Police arrested a woman who they said was planning to detonate a suicide bomb among the crowd who had gathered to watch changing of the guard ceremony.

Australia has issued a travel alert for saying that Indonesia continues to arrest suspected terrorists and that attacks could take place anywhere, at any time “including Bali”.

The shooting of the terrorists comes during an increasingly tense time in Indonesia, with hardline groups fuelling protests against Jakarta’s Christian Governor.

The groups are also conducting so-called sweeps in shopping malls, intimidating store workers who wear Christmas outfits, like Santa Claus hats.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.


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