‘Attacker obsessed with IS’
Minister: Teen found with note expressing love for al-Baghdadi
JAKARTA: A knife-wielding Indonesian teen who tried to attack a priest at a church during a Sunday service was “obsessed” with extremist group Islamic State, a senior minister said.
Indonesian authorities are increasingly worried about a resurgence in radicalism in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, driven in part by a new generation of extremists inspired by Islamic State (IS).
“From the cellphone that was seized by security forces, this youth was obsessed with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” Chief Security Minister Wiranto said, referring to the leader of the Middle Eastern militant group.
Wiranto said a note was found in the attacker’s backpack that said “I love al-Baghdadi” but added that the suspect had no known links to existing militant networks.
There were no serious casualties in the latest attempted attack, which happened in a church in Medan, northern Sumatra.
Police said the attacker had attempted to stab the priest, who suffered minor injuries, and detonate a crude home-made bomb but failed after being restrained by other worshippers.
The suspect, identified as 17-yearold Ivan Armadi, is under interrogation.
Police seized bomb-making materials from his home after the attack and said he had learned to assemble a bomb through online research.
Counter-terrorism officials have said there are hundreds of IS sympathisers in Indonesia, where the vast majority of Muslims practise a moderate form of the religion.
The country suffered its first IS-linked attack in January, when four people died in a gun and bomb assault. — Reuters