Attacks in May 2018 on Java

The church of Santa Maria was one of the attack sites

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (third from left) visits one of the crime scenes

During the attacks on May 13, 2018 in Surabaya on Java in Indonesia , bombs were detonated almost simultaneously in three churches belonging to the Christian minority . 13 people were killed and 41 injured. The following day there was an attack on the police headquarters in Surabaya, which was also carried out by an Islamist family. The four perpetrators died, only the 8-year-old daughter survived seriously injured. 10 people, including several police officers, were injured.

Attacks on three churches (May 13)

The bombs were detonated shortly before the Sunday service began in the Catholic Church of Santa Maria, the Free Evangelical Church of Diponegoro and a Church of the Pentecostal movement. The attacks were carried out by a family of returnees from Syria consisting of their parents, two girls aged nine and twelve and two sons aged sixteen and eighteen.

The man, identified as Dita Priyanto, drove his wife and daughters to Diponegoro Church and dropped them off there. Then he drove to Pentecostal Church and set off the car bomb in the parking lot in front of the church.

The mother, identified as Puji Kuswati, and her two daughters were veiled in a black niqab and wore bomb vests under their long dresses. She led her two daughters by the arms to the Diponegoro Free Evangelical Church, ignored instructions from the guards to stand still, and mingled with the children with the churchgoers. Suddenly she hugged one of the bystanders, then set off the bombs. According to investigators, women and children are often used by terrorist groups for suicide bombings because they arouse less suspicion than men.

The two sons approached the Church of Santa Maria on a motorcycle, carrying the bombs on their backs in their backpacks. They set off the bombs in front of the church.

In addition to the terrorists and their family members, seven other people died. 41 people, including two police officers, were injured, some seriously.

Two further attacks on other churches were prevented.

Bomb workshop explosion in residential complex (May 13)

14 hours later, an explosion occurred in a residential complex in nearby Sidoarjo . The police found a man and a woman and the oldest son dead. Two small children who were outside the apartment survived the blast injured. According to investigators, it was a family who planned similar attacks and who accidentally exploded while the bombs were being built.

Attack on police headquarters (May 14)

On May 14, 2018, an Islamist family of five committed an attack on the police headquarters in Surabaya. They drove towards the security barrier on two motorcycles, where they were stopped. Then they set off the bombs. Four terrorists died and an 8-year-old girl in the family survived seriously injured. Ten people, including several police officers, were injured.

background

The Islamic State claimed the attacks for itself. According to information from the Indonesian secret service, the attacks can be attributed to the IS-affiliated group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah . The ideological head of the organization is the Islamist preacher Aman Abdurrahman , who has been imprisoned for several years . This is said to have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State, translated extremist writings of the IS and is said to have also recruited for the terrorist militia. The group is responsible for several terrorist attacks. Shortly before the attacks, she organized a prison riot in which one prisoner and five members of an elite anti-terrorist force were killed. On May 13, 2018, the police carried out raids on the prison riot and captured several leaders of the Jemaah Ansharut Daulah or killed them in a shooting. In the opinion of the Indonesian secret service, the attacks on the churches were only plan B for the terrorist organization, because the primary goal of killing police officers seemed too difficult due to the increased security measures after the prison riot. The father of the family who carried out the attacks on the churches is said to have been the leader of the Jemaah Ansharut Daulah -Ostjava. All three families had ties to the terrorist organization. The police are looking for a fourth family who recently returned from Syria and have not yet carried out their attack plans.

Indonesia traditionally follows a moderate interpretation of Islam. Recently, however, there has been a strong growth in Islamism . Religious minorities have repeatedly been the target of assassins in Indonesia. The government has been targeting jihadists since the 2002 attack on Bali .

Reactions

President Joko Widodo condemned the act as a barbaric act beyond the limits of humanity, which resulted in victims among members of society, the police and even innocent children. Foreign Minister Retno Masudi sharply condemned the attacks and stated that Indonesia would not slacken in the fight against terrorism. The two largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah , condemned the terrorist attacks.

Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the attacks that the violence would end and that “there will be a place in the hearts of all for reconciliation and brotherhood and not for hatred and violence”.