Indonesian Security Chief Stabbed in an ISIS-linked Attack

A hospital spokesman said that Mr. Wiranto (above) underwent surgery and was in stable condition. (Wikimedia Commons)

Two suspects stabbed Indonesia’s chief security minister, Mr. Wiranto, on October 10. They were part of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a terrorist group that has pledged loyalty to ISIS. The incident occurred just after Wiranto stepped out of a car near a university in Banten province on the island of Java. 

The police identified the arrested pair as a married couple. The husband, Syahril Alamsyah, was wielding a knife and inflicted “two deep wounds” on the security chief. The female attacker, Fitri Andriana, was also trying to stab Wiranto with a pair of scissors before police officers intervened. 

According to the spokesman of Berkah Hospital, medical personnel evacuated Wiranto to Jakarta, where he underwent surgery and was in stable condition. 

Mr. Wiranto, 72, is a former military general who wields enormous power in the Indonesian government. As the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Wiranto oversees the foreign, interior, and defense ministries. Under President Joko Widodo, Wiranto was responsible for handling the government response to the riots in Papua last month. The violent protests—which have led to at least 20 deaths—broke out due to longstanding separatist sentiments in the impoverished, ethnically-distinct region. 

The security chief was also in charge of the military during Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor in 1999, which resulted in about 10,000 deaths. As a result, the UN has indicted Wiranto for human rights violations, but the former general has denied culpability and has never appeared in court.

The motives for the attack are currently under investigation. However, this incident came just days before the inauguration of President Widodo on October 20. Budi Gunawan, head of the Indonesian National Intelligence Agency, warns that “we must be extra careful,” because these two events could be linked. 

Indonesia has been grappling with rising radicalist sentiments in recent years. It is the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world, and hundreds of Indonesian citizens have headed to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. Last year, a string of deadly suicide bombings targeting churches killed more than 30 people in Surabaya. Since then, the amended Terrorist Law has allowed the government to increase crackdowns on suspected terrorists. In 2018, authorities arrested 390 people on terrorism-related charges, and according to the National Police, tighter laws have led to the arrest of 143 people on similar grounds this year. 

According to Sidney Jones, the director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, this attack represents “a serious escalation in aspirations” if it was staged by militants. 

As a result, President Widodo has called for a thorough investigation in response to the incident. He also rallied the nation to combat terrorism through “united efforts” so that this threat can be “defeated in this country that we love.”