On 30 September 1965, six of the military's most senior officers were killed in action (generally labelled an "attempted coup") by the so-called 30 September Movement, a group from within the armed forces. Within a few hours, Major General Suharto mobilised forces under his command and took control of Jakarta. Anti-communists, initially following the army's lead, went on a violent purge of communists throughout the country, killing an estimated half a million people and destroying the PKI, which was officially blamed for the crisis.