Indonesia Church Blast Carried Out By Married Couple - Reports

BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th March, 2021) Suicide bombers responsible for the Sunday attack on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, the capital of Indonesia's South Sulawesi province, have been identified as a married couple, Indonesian news agency Antara reported on Monday, citing police.

"This is true, the attackers were a married couple, they got married six months prior," Indonesian national police spokesman Argo Yuwono said, as quoted in the report.

According to Yuwono, the husband and wife, whose full Names were not disclosed, were linked to the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, an affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia). The group previously claimed the responsibility for the 2018 bombings of three Catholic churches in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, killing 15 people and 13 suicide attackers, and the 2019 Jolo cathedral bombings in the Philippines, killing 20 people and injuring 102 others.

No terrorist group has claimed the responsibility for the Makassar attack yet.

The Sunday bombing has reportedly injured more than 20 people, while both attackers died.

"Four of the hospitalized people were discharged, 15 are still receiving treatment in hospitals," police spokesman was cited as saying by the news agency.

On Sunday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo firmly condemned the suicide attack on the church as an act of terrorism.