News

May 13, 2018

Indonesian church suicide bombers from same family: police chief

Indonesian church suicide bombers from same family: police chief

Mobile brigade police stand guard following attacks outside the Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church (Surabaya Gereja Pantekosta Pusat) in Surabaya, East Java on May 13, 2018. A series of blasts, including a suicide bombing, struck churches in Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens in the deadliest attack for years in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. / AFP PHOTO /

A family of six, including two young girls, were responsible for Islamic State-claimed suicide attacks that killed at least 11 and injured dozens during Sunday church services in Indonesia, national police chief Tito Karnavian said.

Mobile brigade police stand guard following attacks outside the Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church (Surabaya Gereja Pantekosta Pusat) in Surabaya, East Java on May 13, 2018.
A series of blasts, including a suicide bombing, struck churches in Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens in the deadliest attack for years in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. / AFP PHOTO /

The family — a mother and father, two daughters aged 9 and 12, and two sons aged 16 and 18 — were linked to local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, which supports IS, Karnavian said.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo slammed the attacks, telling reporters: “We must unite against terrorism.”

“The state will not tolerate this act of cowardice,” he added.