Dozens injured in Indonesia after blasts rock school mosque

Indonesian authorities said that the twin explosions at a mosque in Jakarta during Friday prayers — which left dozens injured — may have been a deliberate attack, with a 17-year-old identified as the prime suspect.

Police said 55 people were in hospitals with a range of minor to serious injuries, including burns, after the blasts at the mosque inside a school complex in the Kelapa Gading area.

“The explosion was loud, so loud that I could not breathe because I was shocked,” said Luciana, 43, who was working at the school canteen at the time. She described multiple blasts and panic as dozens fled the complex.

“I thought it was a short circuit or the sound system which exploded — we were so afraid so we rushed out.”

Deputy house speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, speaking to media after visiting a hospital, said the young male suspect was undergoing surgery, without giving more details or possible motive.

Investigation

At a news conference, Jakarta city police chief Asep Edi Suheri said a probe was underway.

“We have taken several measures such as investigating the crime scene, setting up a police line and sterilising the area,” Suheri said.

Indonesia does have a history of attacks on churches and Western targets – but not mosques. Islamist militancy has largely been suppressed in recent years.

News channel KompasTV showed footage of a green-painted mosque with a line of shoes outside, cordoned off with police tape. There were no signs of damage to the exterior.

State news agency Antara quoted the deputy chief security minister Lodewijk Freidrich as saying there were two explosions.

Black-clad police carrying assault rifles guarded the iron gates of the compound, with emergency vehicles and armoured police vehicles on the street outside.

The complex is located in a crowded area of North Jakarta on largely navy-owned land, home to many military personnel and retired officers.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow and concern over the tragic explosion at a school mosque in Jakarta.

The president conveyed his sympathies to the government and people of Indonesia and prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident.

Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Indonesia in the fight against terrorism and extremism, noting that Pakistan has itself suffered greatly and rendered immense sacrifices in this struggle.

He added that terrorism has also left a deep mark on his own life, having lost close family members to acts of terror.

He said such personal loss strengthens his resolve to work for peace and to stand firmly against extremism in all its forms.

The president said that Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Indonesia and the international community in its commitment to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.