JAKARTA, Indonesia — A married couple who appear to have been inspired by the Islamic State attacked Indonesia’s chief security minister, Wiranto, as he visited western Java on Thursday, the police said.

Mr. Wiranto, 72, a former general who like many Indonesians uses one name, suffered two stab wounds to his stomach, said the national police spokesman, Dedi Prasetyo.

“It was very quick and spontaneous,” he said.

Mr. Wiranto was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Jakarta, the capital, where he underwent surgery and was said to be in stable condition.

The head of Indonesia’s intelligence agency, Budi Gunawan, told reporters that the two assailants were members of an Islamist terror group, Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, that has pledged loyalty to the Islamic State and has been responsible for several recent attacks in Indonesia.

“We have been able to identify these two perpetrators as belonging to the J.A.D. group,” Mr. Budi told reporters at Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, where Mr. Wiranto underwent surgery.

The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, also visited the hospital and called on Indonesians to pray for Mr. Wiranto to recover quickly.

“And for all the people, let’s fight radicalism together, fight terrorism in our country,” Mr. Joko said. “Only by collective effort can we solve and eradicate terrorism and radicalism.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, but the authorities said the husband and wife had been inspired by the extremist group.

“It is confirmed that the perpetrators were exposed to ISIS radicalism through social media,” Mr. Dedi said in a telephone interview.

Hundreds of Indonesians traveled to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State when the extremist group was at the height of its power, and others have carried out attacks at home in the name of the terrorist group.

Last year, a family of five blew themselves up in back-to-back bombings at three Christian churches, killing 12 bystanders and wounding at least 40. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for those attacks. The father, Dita Oepriarto, was identified afterward as the head of the Surabaya chapter of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah.

The assailants on Thursday approached Mr. Wiranto as he got out of his vehicle in the town of Menes in Banten Province, about 60 miles west of Jakarta. He had previously attended an event at the nearby Mathla’ul Anwar University.

The husband was carrying two knives, Mr. Dedi said, but police officers intervened before the wife, who was wielding scissors, could also stab Mr. Wiranto. Two police officers were injured.

The couple were arrested at the scene. A video taken shortly after the attack showed officers holding a man and a woman on the ground before taking them away in handcuffs.

Mr. Wiranto has played a key role in the cabinet of President Joko Widodo, most recently overseeing the government response to rioting in Papua, which has claimed dozens of lives.

In 2003, United Nations prosecutors charged Mr. Wiranto with crimes against humanity for his role in the violence over a 1999 referendum on independence for East Timor, which was then part of Indonesia. He has denied committing any crimes and was never prosecuted.

Mr. Wiranto, who previously served as minister of defense and commander of the armed forces, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2004 and for vice president in 2009.

Richard C. Paddock has worked as a foreign correspondent in 50 countries on five continents with postings in Moscow, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok. He has spent nearly a dozen years reporting on Southeast Asia, which he has covered since 2016 as a contributor to The New York Times. @RCPaddock

Source: Read Full Article