Do Surabaya attacks signal a ‘barbaric’ turn, using families as suicide bombers?
Experts say having entire families explode themselves to kill others is a new tactic that the Islamic State seems to have initiated in Indonesia, which is no stranger to horrendous acts of terror
“Oh God it’s our neighbour!” said Gani, who lived not 40 metres away from Dita Oepriarto, who, along with his wife and four children police believed carried out suicide bomb attacks on three churches in Indonesia’s second city of Surabaya.
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Gani’s shock would soon pale in the sickening realisation that Oepriarto, a cooking-oil merchant who had worked out of his house since he bought it in 2012, was not alone.
The 48- year-old had employed his four young children aged between nine and 18 and his wife to also become suicide bombers.
“I would never, never thought that was possible,” said Gani, speaking on the doorstep of his single story home.