19 injured, 2 suicide bombers killed in church blast in Indonesia

JAKARTA -- Two suicide bombers, one man and a woman, in the blast outside a cathedral church in Indonesia were killed on Sunday, Spokesman of Provincial Police Office Senior Commissioner E. Zulpan told local media.

The number of injured people from the blast rose to 19. The explosion happened at the cathedral church complex in South Sulawesi's Makassar city, when the church was about to start the third mass congregation.

"Two suspected attackers tried to enter the church grounds, and then security officers tried to arrest them, and an explosion occurred," Pastor Wilhelminus Tulak said.

The Indonesian government strongly condemned the bombing attack, saying it was a heinous act that had tarnished the peace of social life.

Indonesian Religious Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said he hoped that the police could reveal the mastermind behind the attack as soon as possible.

Chairman of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia Rev. Gomar Gultom said this bombing attack added to the list of acts of violence and terror in Indonesia.

The incident occurred when Christians in Indonesia were celebrating Palm Sunday, a Christian feast that falls on the Sunday ahead of Easter.

Churches have been targeted by extremists in Indonesia.

In 2018, dozens of people were killed when suicide bombers launched attacks at three churches during Sunday services in the city of Surabaya in East Java.