State Intelligence Agency: Makassar Bombing Terrorists Were Being Chased And Their Actions Had Already Been Sniffed

Bomb detonation at the Cathedral, Makassar (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) said that the perpetrator of the suicide bombing in front of the Cathedral Church, Makassar City, was a suspected terrorist who was in pursuit. The perpetrator has also been detected as planning to carry out acts of terror.

"The perpetrators of the suicide bombing in the Cathedral Church today were indeed in pursuit of the security forces. There are still some who have not been caught and are still in pursuit," said Deputy VII of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Wawan Hari Purwanto in his statement on Sunday, March 28.

This suicide bombing was also closely related to the arrest of dozens of suspected terrorists from the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) network in Makassar by Counterterrorism Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) in January 2021.

The reason was that one of the suspected terrorists who was shot during the arrest process was suspected of committing acts of amaliyah. Moreover, the action of theorists in Makassar has been monitored since 2015 with hundreds of congregations being baptized by ISIS in Sudiang, South Sulawesi.

"In early January 2021, around 20 suspected terrorists from the JAD network were arrested by the South Sulawesi Regional Police and Densus 88, they were involved in funding the suicide bombers in the Philippines, the escape facilitator of Andi Baso, the suspected perpetrator of the 2017 Oikomene Samarinda church bombing. They have prepared both physically and i'dad ability," said Wawan.

Apart from that, Wawan also asked the public to remain calm. This is because the Police have carried out investigative steps. "Appealing to the public to be calm, leave it to law enforcement officials to investigate it," he said.

A suicide bomb explosion occurred in the vicinity of the Cathedral Church, Kota Makassar, Sunday, March 28, at around 10.30 central Indonesia time. As a result of this explosion, several people became victims.

The explosion was said to have come from a motorbike rider. There are at least two people suspected of being the perpetrators. So far, the police are still looking for information and clues about the incident.