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Indonesia: Two suicide bombers die in church attack, 14 people injured

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Two suspected suicide bombers killed; President Widodo condemns terrorist act

JAKARTA: Two suspected suicide bombers attacked a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar yesterday, wounding 14 people on the first day of the Easter Holy Week, officials said.

Both the suspects are believed to have died in the attack.

"There were two people riding on a motorbike when the explosion happened at the main gate of the church - the perpetrators were trying to enter the compound," National Police spokesman Argo Yuwono said.

"The bike was destroyed and there are body parts... We're still collecting parts and trying to identify the sex of the perpetrators."

A witness at the scene described the explosion as "very strong".

Police said a church security guard tried to prevent the motorbike from entering the compound when the blast occurred.

Following the attack, President Joko Widodo said in an online broadcast: "I strongly condemn this act of terrorism and I have ordered the police chief to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators' networks and tear down the networks to their roots."

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The authorities were looking into which radical networks the bombers came from and whether the attack was linked to recent arrests of suspected militants, the spokesman said.

Mr Joko urged people to remain calm and said everybody could worship "without fear".

National Counterterrorism Agency former chief Ansyaad Mbai said the perpetrators were likely part of the same group responsible for a bombing in Jolo, the Philippines, last year.

"They want to show that they still exist and use this to propagate their group and recruit new members," he said.

Makassar, Sulawesi's biggest city, reflects the religious make-up of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country with a substantial Christian minority and followers of other religions.

"Whatever the motive is, this act isn't justified by any religion because it harms not just one person but others, too," Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said.

Indonesian Council of Churches head Gomar Gultom described the attack as a "cruel incident" as Christians were celebrating Palm Sunday and urged people to remain calm and trust the authorities. - REUTERS, AFP

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