jpnn.com, NUSA TENGGARA BARAT - Around 300 unidentified people attacked the As-Sunnah Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School) on Jalan Raya Desa Bagik Nyaka, Aikmel district, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Sunday (2/1).
Some of the perpetrators drove cars to the scene, while others were on foot.
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The NTB Police are still trying to uncover the case.
The perpetrators arrived at around 02.15 a.m. local time, arming themselves with machetes.
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To prevent themselves from being easily tracked by the police, the perpetrators wore ski masks and veils.
The attackers also wore white headbands to identify themselves.
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After entering the pesantren complex, the perpetrators immediately damaged school facilities.
As a result of the sudden attack, one car parked in the courtyard caught fire. Several other cars and motorbikes around the pesantren were also damaged.
East Lombok Police chief Senior Adjutant Commissioner Herman Suriyono suspected that the attack occurred due to a controversial lecture, in which an ustaz, with the initials MQ, discredited the graves of the ancestors.
The perpetrators also moved to the construction site of the Imam Asy Syafi'i Mosque to vandalize it.
"Our team is conducting an investigation to uncover this case," Herman said.
Meanwhile, police spokesman Senior Commissioner Artanto said their members had been deployed to temporarily guard the As-Sunnah Pesantren and the Imam Asy Syafi'i Mosque.
"We urge residents to remain calm and to not take actions that can disrupt our investigation process," said Artanto. (lia/mcr20/jpnn)
This news has been broadcast on JPNN.com with the title: 300 Massa Ikat Kepala Putih Serang Ponpes As-Sunnah dan Masjid Imam Asy Syafii