Terrorist Attack On Pope Francis In Jakarta Reportedly Thwarted

Pope Francis is taken past a guard of honour ahead of his departure from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.(photo credit: Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS) via TJP

Indonesian police have reportedly detained seven individuals following an attempted attack on Pope Francis during his visit to Jakarta, The Straits Times reported, citing statements released Friday by Indonesia’s national police anti-terrorism unit, Detachment 88.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Colonel Aswin Siregar, a spokesperson for Detachment 88, stated that authorities have yet to determine if the suspects belong to a coordinated terrorist cell.

Pope Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday for a three-day stay, part of his 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Straits Times, police discovered bows and arrows, a drone, and ISIS propaganda materials in the home of one of the suspects. The report also mentioned that several of the detainees had pledged allegiance to ISIS.

A source informed the media that the suspects were angered by the pope’s scheduled visit to the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta and the government’s request to suspend the public broadcasting of the Islamic call to prayer during the visit.

Indonesia, where 87% of the population identifies as Muslim and about 10% as Christian, has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population, with the Pew Research Center estimating that 99% of Indonesian Muslims are Sunni.

The small Shia minority resides mainly in Jakarta.

Increase in terror activity

While Indonesia’s Muslim majority is generally regarded as moderate, there has been a growing presence of groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS in recent years.

Jakarta has experienced several terrorist incidents, including the 2009 hotel bombings and the 2016 attacks near a shopping mall.

Detachment 88 has been commended for its efforts in thwarting numerous terrorist plots and making key arrests across the country. – TJP

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