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 onthe police headquarters in Surabaya, which killed four people and injured atleast 16 others, on May 14 morning.
Speaking at a press conference, national police chief TitoKarnavian said that the family drove up to the gates of the police station ontwo motorcycles and then detonated the explosives at the security checkpoint.The four adult perpetrators died but the young child is now recovering inhospital.
Earlier on March 13, a series of bombings hit three Christianchurches in Surabaya, East Java province, leaving at least 13 deaths and over40 others wounded.
Indonesia police announced later the same day that thebombings 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 headquartersin Surabaya city, East Java police spokesman Frans Burung Mangera said thefamily had links to the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) and were among 500Islamic sympathisers who had returned from Syria.
Indonesian government believed that IS-related terror groupJAD was responsible for the bombings. Meanwhile, IS claimed responsibility forthe attacks through its Amaq news agency.
The suicide bombings were followed by a bomb explosion in anapartment building in East Java’s Sidoarjo town on May 13 evening, which killeda mother and her 17-year-old son.
Local news portal Kumparan reported the father, identifiedas Anton, was holding the trigger to a bomb when police arrived. He was shotdead before he could detonate.
The three other children of the same family were rushed to a local hospital fortreatment.
Right after the explosions targeting the three churches, majorcities and regions in Indonesia, including Jakarta capital, Riau islands, EastJava and Bali island, have raised their security alert status to the highestlevel.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs MinisterWiranto said the police backed by the military will step up security across thecountry.
He told reporters that President Joko Widodo has commandedthe police, helped by the Indonesian National Armed Forces, to exert all powerto secure the nation.-VNA
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