Jakarta Police Grab the Heavy Hitters After an Easter Catastrophe
Yesterday, Indonesia’s police smashed a couple of bombers and scooped up a handful of suspected Islamist militants, following a shocking suicide blast that rattled a cathedral in the early hours of Holy Week.
Who were the culprits?
The incident killed only the two bombers but left 19 others injured, all while a Church service was wrapping up. The “dynamic duo” were a married couple from Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a group that has a habit of targeting churches and police posts.
- They allegedly planned the attack with the help of other JAD members.
- Police found around 5.5 kg (12 lb) of explosives and the highly volatile triacetone triperoxide (TATP) in the raids.
- The male bomber had penned a letter to his family outlining his wish to die for his faith.
The Manhunt
Since the bombing, the national police chief, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has announced the arrest of 13 suspects across Greater Jakarta, West Nusa Tenggara, and Makassar. Each person arrested had a different role – from troubleshooting the homemade bombs to actually detonating them.
What’s the history?
JAD isn’t new to this game:
- They were implicated in a 2018 Surabaya attack that cost at least 30 lives.
- Back in 2019, they orchestrated a double suicide bombing at a Philippine church, killing over 20 and wounding a hot‑spit‑hundred.
- In January, authorities sweated over 20 more suspected JAD members.
Why is this so big?
Makassar, the biggest city on Sulawesi, is a microcosm of Indonesia’s diverse faiths: the world’s largest Muslim majority nation also hosts significant Christian communities and other religions. An attack that hits a Christian place in the middle of a strictly Muslim country sends a loud message.
Wrap‑up
Police press on in their quest to crack the JAD network. The next chapters of this story will show whether the authorities can dismantle the group or if the fight will keep simmering in the shadows of Jakarta.
