May 17, 2024, 05:36 PM
Seven people have been arrested in relation to the murder of two police officers in Johor, Malaysia, on May 17.
Five of those arrested are family members of the suspect, a young man with suspected ties to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
In a post on Facebook, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) said the suspect was shot dead at the scene, Ulu Tiram Police Station in Johor Bahru.
Two students arrested
Of the seven arrested, two were students who reportedly "distracted" constables at the police station.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the students, a 22-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, entered the police station at 2:30am to discuss a sexual assault case from two years ago, reported The Star.
It was during this time the suspect arrived on a motorcycle unnoticed at a back entrance.
Subsequently, two police officers were killed before the suspect was shot, and another officer was injured.
They were taken to Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI), according to the PDRM.
Jemaah Islamiyah family ties
Five members of the suspect's family have been arrested, according to New Straits Times.
Those arrested are aged between 19 and 62-years-old.
The suspect's father, 62, is an active member of JI, the Southeast Asian terrorist organisation responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 200 people.
"There were numerous JI-related paraphernalia in their house," said Razarudin.
PDRM are now working to identify all JI members in Johor and pick them up for investigation, reported Malaysiakini.
The police have identified around 20 suspected members in the area.
Victims had served approximately two years on the police force
The PDRM have identified the two victims of the attack as Ahmad Azza Fahmi bin Azhar and Muhamad Syafiq bin Ahmad Said.
Image via Polis Johor/Facebook
In Facebook tributes, the PDRM and Johor Police offered their condolences to the families of the victims and shared a photograph of the pair.
Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, who is also the King of Johor, paid tribute to the police officers, calling them "national heroes".
Both officers were members of the crime prevention patrol team at the station and had been serving for approximately two years.
Top images from Johor Police/Facebook and @pdrmsia_official/Instagram
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