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JAKARTA: Two suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Sunday morning (March 28), the first day of Holy Week, police and witnesses said.
The two suspects were confirmed dead and some 20 people were injured Sunday night, said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD.
“Perhaps there will be more if we find people who report injuries as a result of the blast,” he told a televised news conference.
The minister said he ordered the police and the army to increase security at places of worship throughout Indonesia.
He also urged people to be patient as authorities work to uncover the network behind the attack.
National police spokesman Inspector General Argo Yuwono told a news conference in Jakarta that the wounded suffered injuries to the neck, chest and legs. Some had blisters on their hands and feet.
Police officers stand guard near a church where an explosion occurred in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Sunday, March 28, 2021 (Photo: AP / Yusuf Wahil).
The congregation was inside the church at the time of the blast, South Sulawesi police spokesman E Zulpan told Reuters.
South Sulawesi Police Chief Merdisyam told reporters that five church staff and four worshipers were among the injured. Due to health restrictions, few people attended Mass.
Later, Zulpan told local media that the suspects were a man and a woman. Local police previously said the attacker acted alone.
Churches have been attacked in the past by extremists in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. (Photo: AFP / INDRA ABRIYANTO)
SUSPECT RIDE A MOTORCYCLE
The two alleged attackers had arrived at the church around 10:20 a.m. on a motorcycle, Yuwono said. They tried to enter the cathedral but a security officer stopped them.
“Then the explosion happened,” Yuwono said.
“Based on information on the ground, the vehicle is destroyed, there are several human remains, and of course this will be part of our investigation,” he said.
Father Wilhemus Tulak, a priest of the church, told Indonesian media that a person who was holding an alleged suicide bomber was injured.
Security camera footage showed an explosion that spewed flames, smoke and debris into the middle of the road.
Video from the scene showed that police had placed a cordon around the church and cars parked nearby were damaged.
Police did not say who might be responsible for the attack and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Indonesian Red Cross personnel carry a body bag after an explosion outside a Catholic church in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, on March 28, 2021 (Photo: Reuters / Stringer).
LEADERS CONDEMN THE LAW OF TERROR
Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the attack on Sunday and called on the public to remain calm.
“I strongly condemn the act of terrorism and have ordered the police chief to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators’ networks and expose the network to its roots,” the president, popularly known as Jokowi, said in a live online broadcast.
“Terrorism is a crime against humanity and has nothing to do with any religion. All religious teachings reject terrorism. The entire state apparatus will not tolerate this type of terrorism, and I ask the public to remain calm and practice worship. because the state guarantees the safety of religious people to worship without fear, “he added.
Jokowi also called on the public to work together to fight terrorism and radicalism.
“For the victims who were injured, we pray that they are given a speedy recovery and the state guarantees all medical expenses and care for the victims,” Jokowi said.
Boy Rafli Amar, head of the country’s National Counterterrorism Agency, described Sunday’s attack as an act of terrorism.
Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto said Sunday’s blast could have caused many more casualties if it had taken place at the church’s front door rather than a side entrance.
“Whatever the reason, this act is not justified by any religion because it harms not only one person but also others,” Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Indonesia’s minister of religious affairs, said in a statement.
Armed police officers stand guard along a closed road following an explosion outside a Catholic church in Makassar, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, on March 28, 2021 (Photo: Reuters / Stringer).
Makassar, the largest city in Sulawesi, reflects the religious makeup of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country with a substantial Christian minority and followers of other religions.
Gomar Gultom, head of the Indonesian Council of Churches, described the attack as a “cruel incident” while Christians were celebrating Palm Sunday and urged people to remain calm and trust the authorities.
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Indonesia’s deadliest militant Islamist attack took place on the resort island of Bali in 2002, when bombers killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.
In the following years, the Indonesian security forces achieved some significant successes in the fight against militancy.
Police blamed the Islamic State-inspired group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah for suicide attacks in 2018 against churches and a police post in the city of Surabaya that killed more than 30 people.
