A cathedral in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar was rocked by an explosion this morning, which authorities suspect was triggered by a suicide bomber.
The blast occurred right in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Makassar at around 10:30am. CCTV footage from the incident showed that there were several people and vehicles within the immediate vicinity of the blast.
Warning: Disturbing footage
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“Right now we believe [this is the work of a] suicide bomber,” South Sulawesi Police Chief Merdisyam said.
Witnesses from the scene reported seeing body parts scattered throughout the scene. A number of worshippers were reportedly inside the cathedral for mass at the time of the blast.
Authorities have yet to release comprehensive information regarding victims, but have confirmed at least one death — that of the alleged bomber. The bomber’s identity has not been disclosed.
“We know that [the victims] are one perpetrator and three or four worshippers, who have been checked in to a hospital,” Merdisyam said.
Father Wilhelmus Tulak, a priest at the cathedral, said no congregant was killed, but several were injured, including one who prevented the alleged bomber from entering the house of worship.
“Some worshippers who were heading home were hurt. Some were hit with shards of glass. One got burnt preventing the suicide bomber from entering,” he said.
“But praise God the cathedral is safe.”
We’ll update this developing story as soon as more information becomes available.
In 2018, IS-linked suicide bombers targeted three churches in the East Java capital Surabaya, killing 28 people and injuring 50 others. The incidents spurred the government to pass new anti-terrorism legislation that gave authorities expanded powers to prevent terrorist acts and punish perpetrators.
