JAKARTA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said on Thursday that as of May this year Indonesian police have arrested 270 terrorist suspects of which 20 died due to their resistance during the arrests.
"We had to take firm action as they endangered police and civilians around the scene," Tito said in a hearing with legislators from the parliament's Commission III supervising police's work here.
Detailing further, the police chief said that the largest number of arrested terrorist suspects were 64 ones, related to suspected plot to astray the recent regional election held in June 17.
He added that 49 were arrested due to their involvement in the bombings of three churches in East Java capital of Surabaya on May 13.
In related arrest, police also arrested 12 ones involved in the attacks over Riau provincial police headquarters shortly after the bombings in Surabaya, he said.
Meanwhile, the arrested terrorist suspects related to the deadly riot in police prison in Jakarta's suburb area of Depok were 8.
The riot in police's prison incited by terrorist inmates in early May was identified to have "inspired" the following attacks in Surabaya, Riau and other places, carried out by members of radical group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) which has stated its allegiance to international terrorist organization of Islamic State (IS).
The riot in police's prison had killed 5 police and 1 terrorist inmate, claimed by IS as its organized attacks against Indonesian police from inside their own facility.
