Indonesia: blast at police headquarters conducted by family of five
Indonesia’s police has confirmed that a family of five, including an eight-year-old girl, were the perpetrators of the bomb attack on the police headquarters in Surabaya, which killed four people and injured at least 16 others, on May 14 morning.
Mobile brigade police patrol around the Surabaya police headquarters following a suicide attack in Surabaya, on May 14 (Source: AFP)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s police has confirmed that a family of five, including an eight-year-old girl, were the perpetrators of the bomb attack on the police headquarters in Surabaya, which killed four people and injured at least 16 others, on May 14 morning.
Speaking at a press conference, national police chief Tito Karnavian said that the family drove up to the gates of the police station on two motorcycles and then detonated the explosives at the security checkpoint. The four adult perpetrators died but the young child is now recovering in hospital.
Earlier on March 13, a series of bombings hit three Christian churches in Surabaya, East Java province, leaving at least 13 deaths and over 40 others wounded.
Indonesia police announced later the same day that the bombings at three Christian churches were conducted by a family of six, including four children aged 9 to 18.
Speaking with reporters at the regional police headquarters in Surabaya city, East Java police spokesman Frans Burung Mangera said the family had links to the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) and were among 500 Islamic sympathisers who had returned from Syria.
Indonesian government believed that IS-related terror group JAD was responsible for the bombings. Meanwhile, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks through its Amaq news agency.
The suicide bombings were followed by a bomb explosion in an apartment building in East Java’s Sidoarjo town on May 13 evening, which killed a mother and her 17-year-old son.
Local news portal Kumparan reported the father, identified as Anton, was holding the trigger to a bomb when police arrived. He was shot dead before he could detonate.
The three other children of the same family were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
Right after the explosions targeting the three churches, major cities and regions in Indonesia, including Jakarta capital, Riau islands, East Java and Bali island, have raised their security alert status to the highest level.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said the police backed by the military will step up security across the country.
He told reporters that President Joko Widodo has commanded the police, helped by the Indonesian National Armed Forces, to exert all power to secure the nation.-VNA
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