PEKANBARU: Four men who attacked an Indonesian police headquarters with samurai swords were shot dead on Wednesday and one officer also died, authorities said, days after a wave of deadly suicide bombings claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group rocked the country.

The assault in the city of Pekanbaru on Sumatra island — also claimed by IS — saw a group ram their minivan into a gate at the station and then attack officers, police said.

Four attackers were shot dead at the scene on Wednesday and another suspect who fled was later arrested, police said. One officer was killed by the speeding vehicle and two others were wounded in the incident, they added.

Police said the men belonged to a local extremist group, but not Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which authorities believe was behind the family suicide bombings. Both groups have pledged allegiance to IS, they said.

The bloody violence is putting pressure on lawmakers to pass a stalled security law that would give police more power to take pre-emptive action against terror suspects.

Indonesia — which is set to host the Asian Games in just three months and an IMF-World Bank meeting in Bali in October — has long struggled with Islamist militancy.

Its worst-ever attack was the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people, including locals and foreign tourists.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018