A wave of blasts, including a suicide bombing, struck churches in Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine and wounding dozens of others in the deadliest attack in years to strike the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.
The Southeast Asian nation, which will begin the holy fasting month Ramadan this week, has been on high alert over attacks by homegrown militants, including some incidents claimed by the Islamic State group.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the Sunday bombings in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya.
“Nine people are dead and 40 are in hospital,” East Java Police Spokesman Frans Barung Mangera told reporters, adding that two police officers were among the injured.
The official death toll climbed from an initial two killed and may include those who succumbed to injuries while admitted in hospitals.
Three separate locations were hit by the bombings around 7:30 a.m. in what appeared to be coordinated attacks that included suicide and possibly vehicle bombings.