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发帖数: 4796 | 1 The Slatest
Family of Six Suicide Bombers, Including Two Young Children, Attack
Indonesian Churches
May 13 2018 1:56 PM
A family of six suicide bombers carried out three attacks on three churches
in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, on Sunday. At least seven
people, plus the six suicide bombers were killed in the attacks while at
least 41 people were injured. The apparently meticulously planned attacks
shocked the Muslim-majority nation that is known for its diversity and
tolerance.
The father of the group, driving a Toyota minivan, dropped off the mother
and the two young children—aged 12 and 9—at the Indonesian Christian
Church. Although some reports claim the woman and children were prevented
from going inside the church so the woman detonated the bomb outside the
entrance, other accounts differ. “At first officers blocked them in front
of the churchyard, but the woman ignored them and forced her way inside.
Suddenly she hugged a civilian then [the bomb] exploded,” a security guard
told the AP. The two older sons—aged 18 and 16— detonated a bomb at
Santa Maria Catholic Church. The father then crashed his car into Surabaya
Center Pentecostal Church.
The attack comes at a time when Indonesia has seen a sudden growth of
intolerance and homegrown militancy. Police identified the family as one of
500 ISIS sympathizers who had been in Syria. Officials blamed the bombing on
ISIS-inspired group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which has been tied to
numerous attacks in Indonesia over the past few years. “They have trained
in order to attack police,” national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said.
ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the attack but didn’t mention
anything about a family being involved and said there were only three
attackers.
Although women have been known to participate in terror groups in Indonesia
this appears to mark the first time children have been used in an attack.
BBC’s Indonesia editor Rebecca Henschke notes how the attack shows how the
country has suffered a reversal in what had been seen as a successful fight
against terrorism:
Pope Francis, prayed for the victims of the attacks during his weekly Sunday
prayer in St Peter’s Square. “I am particularly close to the dear people
of Indonesia, especially to the communities of Christians of the city of
Surabaya, which were hit hard by the serious attack on places of worship,”
he said. | a********r
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