TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Terrorism observer Harits Abu Ulya said that the series of bombings in Surabaya were likely an organized attack, given the short interval between the first bomb and the next.
"The attacks were well-organized, seeing how the interval between each attack in those three locations was only around five minutes," Harits told Tempo on Sunday, May 13.
According to Harits, the bombers chose to carry out the attacks on Sunday so they can pretend to be churchgoers. He added that there is a possibility that the terrorists are from the same network.
"The plot they used is the same—a suicide attack," he remarked.
Read: After Surabaya Bomb Terrors, Jakarta Police Force on High Alert
Three churches in Surabaya were bombed on Sunday morning; the Indonesian Christian Church (Gereja Kristen Indonesia) on Jl. Diponegoro, the Santa Maria Catholic Church on Jl. Ngagel Madya, and the Pentecostal Church on Jalan Arjuno.
The explosion at the Santa Maria Catholic Church in Ngagel Madya was allegedly the result of a suicide bomb. The bomber is presumed to have been riding a motorcycle at around 7:15 local time.
East Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Frans Barung Mangera said eight people died in the attacks while 33 suffered injuries.
Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian is currently in Surabaya to monitor the post-bombing situation.
FRISKI RIANA
