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Indonesian security minister Wiranto stabbed

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Friday, October 11, 2019

Wiranto in January 2019
Image: Republic of Indonesia.

Yesterday, Indonesia's security minister Wiranto was stabbed, according to government authorities. Wiranto, who was visiting the town of Pandeglang in the province of Banten, survived the attack.

Wiranto suffered "two deep wounds" in the attack according to a hospital spokesperson. The local police chief and two others were also injured. Al Jazeera reported that Wiranto was flown to a hospital in Jakarta, and that his condition was stable.

Dedi Prasetyo, a spokesperson for the Indonesian National Police, confirmed that two suspects were arrested. He told the BBC that police suspect the attackers had been "exposed to radicalism". The BBC also cited Budi Gunawan, chief of the Indonesian State Intelligence Agency, as saying the suspects were linked to the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah network, which itself was related to the Islamic State.

The attack came less than two weeks before Indonesian President Joko Widodo's second term inauguration. Widodo designated Wiranto, a former general, as the nation's security minister in 2016. Al Jazeera reported that Widodo was planning to visit Wiranto, who was being treated at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital.


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