REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The police suspected that the network of terrorists that was ambushed in Solo in the province of Central Java on Friday night had links with a terror network based in the Philippines, a police official said on Saturday. "The suspects are linked with a terrorist network in the Philippines," National Police head of the public relations division Inspector General Anang Iskandar said.

The shootout occurred when a Jalan veteran was ambushed near a Lotte Mart shopping center that left two of the suspected terrorists and anti-terrorist unit member dead, he said. "While the arrest was being made, a fight broke out between the police and the terror suspects, who took out their guns and started shooting at the police, which left Second Brigadier Suherman and the two terror suspects namely Farhan and Mukhsin dead, while another suspect was caught alive," Iskandar stated.

An Italian made `bareta pietro` pistol with the words Property Philippines National Police (PNP) written on it, three magazines, 43 nine millimeter caliber bullets with a Luger trade mark and nine holopoint CBC had been recovered as evidence, he pointed out.

Unidentified gunmen attacked police posts in Solo thrice during August. The attack on the police post at Plaza Singosaren on August 8 led to the death of Chief Brigadier Dwi Data Subekti.

The National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo personally headed a team, which was in charge of transferring the bodies of the suspected terrorists as well as the surviving terror suspect, from Yogyakarta to Jakarta on Saturday. "I can confirm that we have followed all the necessary procedures starting from the investigation and leading up to the arrest of the terror suspects. We would have liked to arrest them while they were still alive, but they were killed in the crossfire when they tried to defy us," Pradopo said then added, the surviving terror suspect will be investigated further

Commenting on the death of the Densus 88 anti-terrorist unit member he said, "this shows how high the risk involved is, not only for the police but also for the general public, therefore people must remain alert and also inform the police if they see something suspicious."

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