05/21/2021 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) – On March 28, a suicide bombing occurred outside a Catholic cathedral in Makassar, Sulawesi, while the church was having the Palm Sunday Mass. At least 21 people were injured in the attack.
A newly married couple belonging to the Islamic State-affiliated Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) carried out the attack, killing themselves in addition to injuring many church members.
Since then, UCA News reports, the police anti-terror squad Densus 88 made dozens of arrests in Makassar, and several in nearby districts in Central Sulawesi province. So far, 53 people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
According to South Sulawesi police spokesperson E. Zulpan, these arrests are part of a crackdown on the support network that helped staged the attack. Zulpan did not offer further details on the specific offenses committed by the suspects. Zulpan did say that some suspects could face up to 20 years in jail under Indonesia’s anti-terrorism laws.
The parish priest of the cathedral, Father Wilhelmus Tulak, said that he appreciated police efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Let police carry out a proper investigation. Let them enforce the law where it is due. The victims were not only my parishioners but people. This is all about humanity,” he told UCA News. “We all never want such a thing to happen again.”
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