Indonesia: Family of six behind series of bomb attacks
Indonesia police said on late May 13 that the three consecutive bombings at three Christian churches in Surabaya earlier the same day were conducted by a family of six, including four children aged 9 to 18.
Indonesia police at Surabaya city's Central Pentecost Church, one of the three churches attacked on May 13 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – ღIndonesia police said on late May 13 that the three consecutivebombings at three Christian churches in Surabaya earlier the same day were conducted by a family of six, includingfour children aged 9 to 18.
Thedeaths in the bombings have come to 13 while 40 other victims are receivingtreatment at hospital for injuries. Speakingwith reporters at the regional police headquarters in Surabaya city, East Javapolice spokesman Frans Burung Mangera said the family had links to theself-claimed Islamic State (IS) and were among 500 Islamic sympathisers who hadreturned from Syria. In theseries of attack on May 13, the husband drove a car that contained explosivesand rammed it into the gate in front of one church. The second assault on anotherchurch was carried out by his wife along with two daughters of 9 and 12 yearsold, while the man’s sons, who were 18 and 16, involved in the third attack. Indonesiangovernment believed that IS-related terror group JAD was responsible for thebombings. Meanwhile, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks through its Amaqnews agency. Thesame day, Indonesian President Joko Widodo paid a visit to the churches andcondemned the attacks as barbaric which claimed innocent lives. He also orderedpolice to rootout the perpetrators' networks. The attacks occurred at the Santa Maria Tak Bercela Catholic Church, theIndonesian Christian Church and the Central Pentecost Church in Surabaya city.-VNA
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