At least six people killed in three church bombings in Indonesia
Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian police said that at least six people were killed and
35 others were injured in consecutive bombings targeting three churches in
Surabaya, the capital of East Java province on early May 13.
According
to East Java Police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera, the bombings killed two at
the Pentacost Central Church, one at the Indonesian Christian Church and three
at the Santa Maria Catholic Church.
St.
Maria was the site of the first blast, which occurred at 7.30 a.m (local time)
on May 13, before blasts at 7.35 am and 8 am, the state-run news agency
Antara quoted him as saying.
Police
said that the attacks were conducted by suicide bombers and they ordered the
closure of all churches in Surabaya.
The Islamic State (IS) claimed the responsibility for the bombings. However,
the Indonesian police rejected the IS involvement in these cases.
Wawan
Purwanto, spokesperson for the country's intelligence agency, said the bombings
were suspected to have been carried out by the ISIL-inspired group Jemaah
Ansharut Daulah (JAD).
Churches have been targeted previously, including
near-simultaneous attacks on churches there at Christmas in 2000 that killed
about 20 people.-VNA