Indonesia: Family of Suicide Bombers Launches Deadly Attacks on 3 Churches

At least 13 people died and more than 40 others were injured Sunday when a couple and their four children set off suicide bombs at three churches in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya, in the worst terrorist attack in the country in two years, police and witnesses said.

The couple and their two boys, aged 16 and 18 and two girls, aged 9 and 12, were linked to Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a local group inspired by the Islamic State (IS), National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said. IS later claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency.

“The father drove the Toyota Avanza carrying his wife and their two children. He dropped his wife and two daughters, 12 and 9, at GKI,” Karnavian said, referring to one of the three targeted churches.

“[He] then drove the car containing bombs to the Pentecostal Church and blew it up. Meanwhile, two boys set out on their own riding a motorbike to Santa Maria’s church. Both blew themselves up in front of the church.”

Agence France-Presse identified the father as Dita Priyanto, while news reports identified the mother as Puji Kuswati.

Police said Dita led the JAD branch in East Java province, whose capital is Surabaya. The suicide bombings were the first involving a woman and children in Indonesia, officials said.

Earlier on Sunday in West Java province, police said they killed four suspected militants who resisted arrest.