A machete-wielding attacker suspected of ties to an Al-Qaeda-linked group stormed a police station in Malaysia in a dawn raid Friday and killed two officers, police said.
The attacker, who police said had links to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), slashed one officer before grabbing a gun and shooting another, police inspector-general Razarudin Husain said.
A third policeman was also wounded before he shot dead the attacker.
“Two of our men were killed in the attack,” Razarudin told reporters at the site of the attack in Johor state.
“Another policeman was wounded in the shootout and is in stable condition in the hospital,” he said in a broadcast on the national news agency, Bernama.
Police raided the suspect’s home and arrested five people, including his 62-year-old father, who the police chief said was a member of the JI.
JI has been blamed for a series of deadly bomb attacks in the region including the 2002 bombings in the Indonesian resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Razarudin said police also seized “JI-related” documents from the house.
“Looking at the items in the house, we know the dead assailant made preparations to attack the police station,” Razarudin said.
“We believe the motive was to acquire weapons for his agenda which we do not know what it is.”
An estimated 20 JI members are believed to be in Johor, he said.
One analysis by the Australian government available online suggests that attacks by the group have “declined significantly” but its core members “remain active and retain intent to continue terrorist activities.”
Razarudin said security has been scaled up in the country.
