2018 Surabaya churches bombings | |
---|---|
Lua error in Module:Location_map/multi at line 143: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Surabaya" does not exist. | |
Location | Surabaya, Indonesia |
Coordinates | 7°17′20.0″S 112°45′37.3″E / 7.288889°S 112.760361°E 7°16′54.2″S 112°43′56.6″E / 7.281722°S 112.732389°E 7°15′49.6″S 112°43′33.6″E / 7.263778°S 112.726000°E |
Date | 13 May 2018 06:30 – 07:53 WIB (UTC+07:00)[1] |
Target | Churches |
Attack type | Suicide bombings |
Deaths | 14 (including all perpetrators)[2][3] |
Injured | 43[4] |
Perpetrators | Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, Southeast Asian branch of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
The 2018 Surabaya churches bombings were a series of terrorist attacks that occurred on 13 May 2018 in three churches in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia. The explosions took place at Innocent Saint Mary Catholic Church (Gereja Katolik Santa Maria Tak Bercela, SMTB) on Ngagel Madya Street, Indonesia Christian Church (Gereja Kristen Indonesia, GKI) on Diponegoro Street, and Surabaya Central Pentecost Church (Gereja Pantekosta Pusat Surabaya, GPPS) on Arjuno Street. The first explosion took place at the SMTB Church; the second and third explosions followed within an hour.
As of 14 May 2018 midnight, 8 civilians and 6 suicide bombers were killed in the attacks and 43 others were injured; several of the injured were in critical condition. The attacks occurred just days after the standoff at Mako Brimob in Depok, in which 5 police officers were killed. The attacks are the deadliest terror attack in Indonesia since the Bali bombings in 2005. According to official investigations, the suicide bombers were a family who received training in Syria.
It was estimated in 2017 that hundreds of Indonesians have come to Syria to fight with ISIL before coming back.[5] The returning individuals are placed through a deradicalization program by the National Agency for Combating Terrorism, and are put on a watchlist for the agency and local governments alike.[6] Several terrorist attacks, such as the Thamrin attacks, were orchestrated by the returnees or local extremists who pledged alliance to ISIL.[7]
In 2016, President Joko Widodo requested lawmakers to revise the country's anti-terrorism laws, which were published in 2003 and 2013. He questioned the law's effectiveness, with the government legally being unable to arrest perpetrators of the Thamrin attacks preemptively.[8] The revision encountered resistance, with critics remarking that the law would allow arbitrary arrests.[9] Later on, opposition arose from human rights groups due to the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces in the bill, which would put the armed forces in a law enforcement role.[10] Regardless, the bill continued to press on although it was put on hold in late February as both the military involvement and the legal definition of terrorism came into debate.[11]
Between 8 and 10 May 2018, a standoff occurred at the Mobile Brigade Corps' headquarters in Depok, resulting in the deaths of 5 police officers. While the incident and hostage situation ended with the 155 rioters surrendering,[12] in the aftermath of the event police shot dead four individuals who were suspected terrorists allegedly travelling "to help the rioting prisoners".[13] ISIL claimed responsibility for the incident.[14]
The first attack occurred on 06:30 WIB (UTC+07:00) in front of the SMTB Church.[15] Eyewitnesses stated that the attack occurred shortly after the first mass. Survivors stated that the perpetrators immediately entered the church without taking the parking ticket first.[16] As people gathered in the hall, several people stated that they saw two people riding a motorcycle were being stopped by security officers at the church's entrance. Shortly afterwards, the perpetrators detonated the bomb. The blast immediately killed a child and a security officer.[17]
The first attack was captured on camera.[18] In the first video, the perpetrators who were riding a motorcycle immediately entered the church without stopping. Immediately after that, they detonated the bomb. The second video showed the bombing from a front door near the entrance. At the time, people were walking out from the church and several others were entering the church as the first mass had finished. The perpetrators immediately detonated their devices as they were stopped by security. As the explosion happened, multiple people inside the church began to panic. Several people who lived nearby mistook the explosion as an earthquake. The church's windows were blown. However, the exterior suffered minimum damage. The building located in the entrance was destroyed.[19]
The second attack occurred around 07:45 at the GKI, located on Diponegoro Street.[1] Eyewitnesses stated that the perpetrators was a woman wearing black veil and black niqāb. She was also carrying two bags. At the time of the incident, she was taking her two children, who were also wearing veils and niqābs.[20] Eyewitnesses stated that the woman was trying to enter the church when a security officer suddenly blocked her. She then hugged the security officer and detonated the bomb. Not long after that, her children detonated their explosive devices. Explosions were heard as many as five times.[21] The security guard who tried to stop them was critically injured by the blast.[22]
The third attack occurred at the GPPS, located on Arjuno Street on 07:53 WIB. At least two explosions were heard in the third attack, both were caused by the detonation of two explosive devices. The first explosion originated from a car. According to eyewitness, the driver of the car rammed the gate of the entrance and struck the parked vehicles in the church. At the time, people were going to drive their vehicles out from the church's parking lot.[23] The explosion destroyed 5 cars and 30 motorcycles. Two people were killed in the attack, both succumbed to their injuries. Many were injured in the attack. Several of them were seriously wounded. Another bomb exploded from the same car.[24] Two other bombs were discovered near the church. Bomb disposal unit were dispatched to defuse the bombs. According to them, two bombs were successfully detonated while the other two malfunctioned.[25]
Emergency services arrived approximately two minutes after the first attack. The death toll initially was six. The Indonesian National Police later stated that a total of 13 people, including the six perpetrators, were killed in the attacks. 43 people were injured, several of them were in critical condition and all were rushed to nearby hospitals. The police immediately cleared and cordoned the area.[26]
As of 14 May midnight, 8 civilians and 6 suicide bombers were killed in the attacks.[2][3] Among the dead were children aged 11 and 8 and two security officers who were trying to stop the perpetrators from entering the church. According to officials, a pregnant woman was among the injured.[27] One of the security officers was identified as Aloysius Bayu Rendra Wardhana. He was regarded as a hero by locals for successfully stopping the perpetrators from entering the church.[28]
Injured victims of the blasts were treated in 8 hospitals.[29] The local branch of the Indonesian Red Cross reported an upsurge in blood donations, with 600 people donating blood that day compared to the routine target of 400.[30]
Hours after the attacks, the Chief of the Indonesian National Police Tito Karnavian, stated in a news conference that Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, a local branch of the Islamic State, was the group who was responsible for perpetrating the attacks. The group was responsible for the previous church bombing in Samarinda and was also blamed for a series of attacks against the Indonesian police in 2016 and 2017.[31]
He later added that based on eyewitness accounts, the attackers were probably from the same family. Multiple people claimed that prior to the attack the woman and her two daughters, aged 12 and 9, in the second attack were dropped off from an SUV. According to him, the man who drove the SUV was her husband. He then drove the SUV and rammed it into the GPPS, where the third attack occurred. Their sons were the ones who drove the motorcycle in the first attack.[32]
According to official report, the perpetrators had just got back from "education" in Syria. The family, according to Tito, was among the 500 people who were monitored by the government.[33]
The perpetrators were identified by the police as a family of six, consisted of Dita Uprianto (father), Puji Kuswati (mother), Yusuf Fadil (first child, aged 18), Firman Halim (aged 16, second child), Fadilah Sari (aged 12, third child), and Pamela Rizkita (aged 9, last child).[20] This makes Puji the first female suicide bomber in Indonesia.[34] Dita was responsible for the third attack where he drove his SUV with highly explosive material to the GPPS. According to the police, the explosion in the third attack was the most powerful. The police stated that the woman was a resident of Banyuwangi, a city located approximately 306 km southeast of Surabaya.[35]
Through its Amaq News Agency, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attacks, although it did not provide any evidence of its participation.[36]
The Indonesian National Police announced that 3 types of bombs were used in the attacks. According to them, the bomb in the third attack was the most explosive type and the most destructive, powerful enough to destroy dozens of vehicles and set fire to the front portion of the church.[37] The third attack was using a car bomb, while the second attack was using belt bombs. The bombs in the second attack were strapped on the three perpetrators, Puji and her 12 and 9 year old daughters. This was evidenced by the examination of their bodies where a specific area (their stomachs area) were torn apart due to the force of the blast. Investigators are still trying to determine the type of bombs that were used in the first attack.[38]
On the night of 13 May, a house in Wonorejo Asri in Rungkut, Surabaya was stormed by the police. They discovered 3 highly explosive bombs from the house, which were later defused by bomb disposal unit.[39] Arrows and a bow were discovered on the back of the house. The police also recovered several books and documents from the house for investigation purposes.[40]
The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia, PGI) and the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (Konferensi Waligereja Indonesia, KWI) released statements expressing their condolences and requesting political elites to not utilize the incident for political gain.[41] The Indonesian Christian Students' Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia) called for President Widodo to evaluate the state's security apparatus.[42] During a sermon at Saint Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis mentioned the attacks and requested prayers.[43]
Multiple Muslim clerics, Indonesian political and public figures condemned the attack. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) general chairman Said Aqil Siradj condemned the attack, remarking that "Islam condemns any form of violence. There is not a single religion in the world that justifies violence as a way of life." and requested people to report on actions that may lead to radicalism or terrorism.[44] Indonesian Ulema Council denounced the attack, stating that the Quran clearly stated that the act of murder to the innocents is a big sin. They later urged the government to tackle Islamic radicalism in Indonesia to prevent such terror attacks.[45] Muhammadiyah condemned the attacks, added that suicide bombing (nor killing the innocents) is not jihad. The Surabaya branch of Muhammadiyah dispatched personnel to help the treatment of the victims.[46] Ansor Youth Movement, a non-profit Islamic youth organization operating under the NU, strongly condemned the attacks as a vile, vicious attacks against humanity, especially in a place of worship. The organization general chairman Yaqut Cholil Qoumas urged law enforcement officers to tackle the threat of radicalization in social media.[47]
President Widodo flew to Surabaya, visiting the bombed churches and the hospitalized victims. Condemning the attacks, he called the perpetrators as "barbaric" for their acts and the use of under-aged children as suicide bombers.[48] Expressing condolences for the victims, he stated that the bombings were "a crime against humanity, unrelated with any religion", adding that he had ordered police chief Tito Karnavian to "unravel the bombers' network to its roots".[49] He guaranteed that the government will cover the medical expenses of the victims.[50]
One of the most controversial religious figure in Indonesia, Bachtiar Nasir, a prominent member of the GNPF who supported the imprisonment of the Christian–Chinese Governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also condemned the attacks. He stated that Allah will condemn and punish them severely and offered his condolences to the victims of the attacks.[51] Former Indonesian National Armed Forces commander Gatot Nurmantyo also denounced the attacks, stating that the perpetrators were trying to stain the image of Islam.[52]
Political figures blamed Islamic radicalism as the cause of the attacks. The Indonesian House of Representatives stated that the government needs to do a "jihad" against terrorism. Masinton Pasaribu, a representative from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI–P), stated that the attacks was an inhuman action and an extraordinary crime and the perpetrators should be severely punished.[53] An Indonesian Islamic party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also condemned the attack and regarded the attack as highly anarchist.[53] Party president Sohibul Iman, stated that every terror attacks are highly despicable, especially in place of worship. Spokesman from Golkar, the second largest party in Indonesia, stated that the attacks were nothing but a cowardice act from several irresponsible people who stained their own religion.[53]
Prominent opposition party figure Fadli Zon also commented on the attacks. However, despite this, he was jeered and heavily criticized by the public as his criticism was viewed by many as an attack to the incumbent government.[54] Politicians from his party, Gerindra, joined the condemnation, without attacking the current government. Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto expressed condolences for the attacks, asking the Indonesian people to maintain unity.[55] Spokesman from the Democratic Party, Didi Iriawan, shared the same message. He stated that the attack was unacceptable and called for severe punishment to the perpetrators.[53]
Several vigils were held across Indonesia. Approximately 1,000 people participated in a vigil in Tugu Pahlawan in Surabaya where participants lit candles for the victims of the attacks. Vigils reportedly held in Bandung, Blitar, and Solo.[56]There was a free distribution of prosthetic from volunteer for the survivors.[57]
The U.S. government condemned the attacks, later urged Americans to be aware of the condition in Indonesia.[58] The U.K. government issued a travel advice for British nationals who were planning to visit Indonesia in response to the bombings.[59] Australia issued similar travel advice for Australians in Indonesia.[60] The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued similar travel advice, stating that "Residents intending to visit the country or are already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people."[61] The Indonesian Ministry of Health confirmed President Widodo's statement that all hospital bills of the victims of the attacks will be paid by the government.[62]
In Surabaya, the East Java Regional Police asked for cancellation of all Sunday services for the day in response to the attacks.[63] Indonesian police reportedly raised Jakarta's terror alert level to the highest level (Level 1), effective from 13 May 2018 at 08:00 local time.[64] The province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and Riau Islands later followed Jakarta's action to raise the terror threat level in their provinces.[65] Police official stated that Jakarta would remain on that level until indefinite time. As many as 8,000 police personnel were dispatched in Makassar, South Sulawesi to guard churches and vital objects across the city. Police in Malang stated that roughly as many as 250 personnel would be dispatched across Malang to protect the city's churches.[66]
The West Java Regional Police stated that security throughout West Java is tightened in response to the attacks and multiple police personnel would be dispatched across West Java.[67] The security at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali would be tightened in response to the attacks.[68] A prompt inspection was conducted at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang.[69]
Police officers were deployed to the crime scenes to investigate and safeguard the areas, including members of Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) and the bomb squad. The police said that evacuation of victims was their primary focus.[70] The bombings also prompted the Surabaya administration to cancel the Rujak Uleg Festival on Kembang Jepun Street, slated to be opened by Mayor of Surabaya Tri Rismaharini at noon, to commemorate the city’s 725th anniversary.[71]
In response to the bombings, the chief of the Indonesian National Police Tito Karnavian stated that this is the time for the revision of the anti-terror bill, later urged the members of the Indonesian House of Representatives to revise the anti-terrorism bill, which was viewed as a weak bill by many. According to Tito, terrorists easily evaded arrests due to the bill. Police couldn't arrest and prevent terror attacks due to the absence of a strong terror bill. The police technically couldn't arrest the terror suspects if the terror attack had not been executed.[72]
Many experts supported and urged the governments to revise the anti-terror bill. Political expert from the Indonesian Political Analysis Institute Maksimus Ramses urged the government to form a special committee for the revision. If the anti-terror bill was revised by the government, the group who was responsible behind the attack Jemaat Ansharut Daulah (JAD) could be listed by the government as a terror group and terror attacks could be quickly prevented.[73]
Facebook immediately activated its safety check after the attacks.[74] Social media were flooded with the Indonesian public who voiced their condolences, prayers, frustration and anger in response to the attacks. The hashtags #PrayForSurabaya, #BersatuLawanTeroris (English: #UnitedAgainstTerrorist) and #KamiTidakTakut (English: #WeAreNotAfraid) immediately went viral on Twitter.[75]
Indonesian National Police advised netizens to not share the graphic photos of the victims and the perpetrators of the attacks.[76] The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) also advised news station to not broadcast dead bodies or other graphic materials on TV. Several TV stations cancelled their TV programs in response to the bombings. The 2018 Bandung Mayoral Debate, which was planned to be showed on tvOne, was postponed due to the coverage of the attacks. This announcement was stated on air.[77]
Around 20:00 WIB, a bomb exploded in an apartment complex in the nearby city of Sidoarjo.[78] The incident occurred when the police raided the apartment. Three people in a single apartment room were killed, while two children occupying the same room survived. All of them were from the same family. [79] According to the provincial police chief, the victims of the blast might have planned to conduct a similar attack as the churches, but the bomb exploded prematurely.[80]
Nearby residents stated that they thought the explosion was caused by an exploding LPG. Residents who lived in or nearby the apartment complex were evacuated from the vicinity. The police later added that residents are prohibited to return to their homes until further notice. Police later cordoned the area for investigation and roads nearby were closed.[81]
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)
((cite web))
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher=
(help)