Suicide bomber carrying ‘ISIS flag’ attacks priest with axe after explosives fail to detonate

Indonesia: A teenage suicide bomber carrying an explosives has been arrested on Sunday after his explosives failed to detonate as he attempted to attack a Catholic church in Indonesia. The suicide bomber who was reportedly carrying a drawing of the ISIS flag and his ID card, attacked a priest with an axe after the failed bid.

According to police spokesman, the bomber left a bench and ran toward the 60-year-old priest Albert Pandiangan at the altar, but homemade explosives only burned without detonating.

Before he was stopped by members of the congregation, the suspect had managed to pull an axe from his backpack and attack Priest Pandiangan, wounding him on his arm though the wounds were not severe.

Local chief detective Nur Fallah said;

“Somebody tried to kill the priest by pretending to attend the church service and at that time tried to explode something, like a firecracker, but the firecracker didn’t explode, it only fumed.”

Police said the motive behind the attack at the Roman Catholic St. Yoseph Church in Medan, is not clear. 

Spokeswoman for the Medan police Rina Sari Ginting, said;

“A terrorism act was carried out on Sunday morning at the Saint Joseph catholic church.

“Police are interrogating the perpetrator… and will search his house for any bomb-making materials.”

The suspect confessed to police that he was not working alone.