Indonesia: ‘suicide squad’ family on motorcycles attacks Surabaya police HQ after church bombings
Explosion comes day after deadly wave of attacks on churches staged by another family
A family of five, including a child, carried out the suicide bombing of a police headquarters in Indonesia’s second city Surabaya on Monday, police said, a day after a deadly wave of attacks on churches staged by another family.
The spate of bombings has rocked Indonesia, with Islamic State claiming the church attacks and raising fears about its influence in Southeast Asia as its dreams of a Middle Eastern caliphate fizzle.
Indonesia, which is set to host the Asian Games in just three months, has long struggled with Islamist militancy, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed over 200 people – mostly foreign tourists – in the country’s worst-ever terror attack.
Security forces have arrested hundreds of militants during a sustained crackdown that smashed some networks, and most recent attacks have been low-level and targeted domestic security forces.