Egypt strongly condemned in a Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday the terror attacks that targeted three churches in the city of Surabaya in Indonesia, which resulted in the death of nine people and the wounding of 40 others.
At least nine people were killed in three separate attacks on churches in Surabaya, the third largest city in the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. About 40 people were wounded in the attack, according to local media.
Indonesian police said that a family of six carried out the attacks. The mother and her two daughters were reportedly involved in an attack on one of the churches, while the father and three other children carried out the other attacks.
The Foreign Ministry statement asserted that Egypt stands with the Indonesian government and people in their fight against terrorism, sending Egypt’s government and people’s condolences to victims’ relatives and wishing speedy recoveries for those who were injured in the attack. The ministry said that those attacks reflect the “ugly face for terrorism and extremism that is far from Islam’s peaceful teachings.”
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Moreover, Wawan Purwanto, the communications director at the Indonesian intelligence agency, told local media that the bombings were suspected to have been carried out by Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which is affiliated with the Islamic State.
Muslims form more than 90% of Indonesia’s population, while the country has religious minorities which include Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.
The country recently witnessed several terror attacks carried out by extremists. The attack, which was the deadliest since 2005, happened about a week after an incident that killed five elite counter-terrorism officers at one of the high-security prisons near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital city.
