Indonesia: Family of six behind series of bomb attacks

Indonesia police at Surabaya city's Central Pentecost Church, one of the three churches attacked on May 13 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – 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.

The deaths in the bombings have come to 13 while 40 other victims are receiving treatment at hospital for injuries.

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.

In the series of attack on May 13, the husband drove a car that contained explosives and rammed it into the gate in front of one church. The second assault on another church was carried out by his wife along with two daughters of 9 and 12 years old, while the man’s sons, who were 18 and 16, involved in the third attack.

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 same day, Indonesian President Joko Widodo paid a visit to the churches and condemned the attacks as barbaric which claimed innocent lives. He also ordered police to root out the perpetrators' networks.

The attacks occurred at the Santa Maria Tak Bercela Catholic Church, the Indonesian Christian Church and the Central Pentecost Church in Surabaya city.-VNA