Christmas Eve 2000 Indonesia bombings explained

Christmas Eve 2000 Indonesia bombings
Location:Medan, Bandung, Batam, Ciamis, Mataram, Mojokerto, and Pekanbaru
Date:24 December 2000
Target:Churches
Fatalities:18
Injuries:118
Perps:Al Qaeda
Jemaah Islamiyah[1] [2]
Motive:Islamic extremism, Anti-Christianity

On 24 December 2000, a series of explosions took place in Indonesia, which were part of a high-scale terrorist attack by Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.[3] The attack, which occurred on Christmas Eve, involved a series of coordinated bombings of churches in Jakarta and eight other cities which killed 18 people and injured many others.

Bombing locations

A breakdown of the bombings is as follows:[4]

Four police officers were killed trying to disarm a bomb; a civilian also died

Explosions hit churches

Bomb exploded during production, three suspects died

Three bombs injured 22

Three churches bombed; one dead. One of them is the Eben Haezer church in Jalan Raden Ajeng Kartini. At around 8:30pm[5] on December 24, 2000, while trying to throw the bomb away, a Muslim security volunteer, Riyanto, was killed.[6]

Three churches bombed

Bombings killed three

Arrests

Two suspects were arrested following the bombings. Indonesian police say they found documents implicating Hambali in the bombings.[7] Abu Bakar Bashir was tried for involvement in the bombings in 2003 but was found not guilty; he was subsequently convicted of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings.

In popular culture

The Indonesian progressive metal band Kekal has cited the bombings as an inspiration for its anti-terrorism song "Mean Attraction," which appeared on its third full-length album, The Painful Experience.[8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bali Bombings Suspect, Extradited From Pakistan, Arrives in Indonesia . . Aubrey Belford . 11 August 2011 . 20 June 2018.
  2. Web site: Indonesia's Long Battle With Islamic Extremism Could Be About to Get Tougher . . Tara John . 15 January 2016 . 20 June 2018.
  3. Web site: A Tangled Web of Southeast Asian Islamic Terrorism: Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network . Turnbull . Wayne . 3 July 2003 . 5 October 2006 . 8 May 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060508092844/http://www.terrorismcentral.com/Library/terroristgroups/JemaahIslamiyah/JITerror/WJ2000.html . dead .
  4. News: Arrests follow church bombings . BBC News . 26 December 2000 . 30 April 2010.
  5. Web site: Chronology of Christmas Eve Bombings & Acts of Terror in 2000. Barber. Paul. January 25, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230309/http://lists.topica.com/lists/indonesia-act@igc.topica.com/read/message.html?sort=d&mid=702557008. 3 March 2016. dead. 17 January 2015.
  6. Web site: Riyanto: A martyr with a life lesson on pluralism. Widhiarto. Hasyim. December 23, 2010. The Jakarta Post. en. 2019-07-16.
  7. Web site: Statement by the Treasury Department Regarding Today's Designation of Two Leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah . 24 January 2003 . . 23 October 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060923182436/http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/kd3796.htm . 23 September 2006 . dmy-all .
  8. Web site: mpomusic . Lord Rogoth, Negatyfus, Shamgar, Stefan, Natan, Daffie K. . An interview with... Kekal . 25–30 January 2002 . Art for the Ears . 5 January 2011 .