Suicide bombers who yesterday carried out deadly attacks on three churches in Indonesia’s second-largest city were a family of six that included two young children, police said, as the world’s most populous Muslim nation recoiled in horror at one of the worst attacks on its Christian minority.
At least 13 people, including all six family members, died in the attacks in Surabaya and at least 41 people were injured, police said, in acts that Indonesia’s president celled “barbaric.”
The bombings were the worst to target churches in Indonesia since a series of attacks on Christmas Eve in 2000 killed 15 people and wounded nearly 100 others.
Photo: EPA
Religious minorities in Indonesia, especially Christians, have been repeatedly targeted by militants.
The father exploded a car bomb, two sons, aged 16 and 18, used a motorcycle for their attack, and the mother was with daughters, aged nine and 12, for her attack, national police chief Tito Karnavian said.
The family had returned to Indonesia from Syria, where until recently the Islamic State (IS) group controlled significant territory, Karnavian said.
The extremist group claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency.
The first attack struck the Santa Maria Roman Catholic Church in Surabaya, police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera told reporters at the scene.
That blast was followed by a second explosion minutes later at the Christian Church of Diponegoro and a third at the city’s Pantekosta Church, Mangera said.
A witness described the woman’s attack at the Diponegoro church, saying she was carrying two bags when she arrived.
“At first officers blocked them in front of the churchyard, but the woman ignored them and forced her way inside. Suddenly she hugged a civilian then [the bomb] exploded,” said the witness, a security guard who identified himself as Antonius.
Mangera said three unexploded homemade bombs, two at the Pantekosta church and one at the Diponegoro church, were detonated by a bomb squad.
Shattered glass and chunks of concrete littered the entrance of the Santa Maria Church, which was sealed off by police.
Rescue personnel treated victims at a nearby field, while officers inspected wrecked motorcycles in the parking lot that had been burned in the explosion.
A street merchant outside the church said she was blown several meters by the blast.
“I saw two men riding a motorbike force their way into the churchyard. One was wearing black pants and one with a backpack,” said the merchant, Samsia, who uses a single name. “Soon after that the explosion happened.”
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the scenes of the attacks and described them as “cowardly actions” that were “very barbaric and beyond the limit of humanity.”
In Jakarta, the Indonesian Church Association condemned the attacks.
“We are angry,” association official Gormar Gultom said, but urged people to let the police investigation take its course.
Indonesia’s two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, also condemned the attacks.
TSAI REACHES OUT
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday offered her sympathies to people affected by the bombings and by a deadly knife attack in central Paris a day earlier.
“My thoughts are with all those affected by the attacks in France and Indonesia today. Taiwan stands with all peace-loving people around the world,” Tsai tweeted.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) earlier said that no Taiwanese had been harmed in the attacks.
Winston Chen (陳文儀), director-general of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, has conveyed Taiwan’s sympathy and condolences to Indonesian Representative to Taiwan Robert James Bintaryo, Lee said, adding that Taiwan’s representative office in France has set up an emergency response mechanism.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) extended the nation’s condolences to the victims and their families to French Representative to Taiwan Benoit Guidee, he added.
Lee reminded Taiwanese to pay attention to their personal safety when traveling to the two nations and to contact Taiwan’s representative offices there in case of an emergency.
Additional reporting by CNA
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source