JAKARTA // A suicide bomber attacked an Indonesian church packed with hundreds of worshippers yesterday, killing himself and wounding at least 20 other people, police and hospital officials said.
The blast in Solo town in Central Java province occurred just as people were filing out at the end of the service.
"Everyone was screaming," a witness told Metro TV. "I saw fiery sparks and, near the entrance, a man dead on the ground. People around him were splattered with blood," said Fani, who goes by only one name, like many Indonesians.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the bombing.
Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation of 237 million, has been hit by a string of suicide bombings blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah and its offshoots since 2002, when a strike on two Bali nightclubs killed 202 people, most of them tourists.
Subsequent attacks have been far less deadly, however, and the last occurred more than two years ago, owing to a security crackdown that led to the arrests and convictions of hundreds of Islamist militants.
Bombings by solo "jihadis" have continued, however, often targeting Christians, security officers and members of Islamic sects deemed "blasphemous" by hardliners.
A police spokesman, Colonel Djihartono, said: "This is clearly a suicide bombing," adding that the explosive appeared to have been strapped to the bomber's stomach.
It was packed with nails, nuts and bolts, which were found scattered around his body.
Around 20 other people were wounded, one critically, said Bambang Sumarsono, a hospital official.
Witnesses said they believed the perpetrator was not a church member. "He walked about four metres [yards] behind me," Abraham, who attended the service, told El Shinta radio. "I believe he was disguised as a churchgoer."
Indonesia is a secular nation with a long history of religious tolerance, but an extremist fringe has become more vocal and violent in recent years.
Critics said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament, has remained silent as minorities have been attacked by hardliners or seen their houses of worship torched or boarded up.
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More on Quran memorisation:
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
