Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Over 50 individuals sustained injuries from several explosions that occurred at a mosque situated within a school complex in North Jakarta’s Kelapa Gading district during Friday prayers. The incidents took place around 12:15 p.m. local time, disrupting the serene atmosphere as students congregated for worship.
According to police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the alleged perpetrator is a 17-year-old student of the same school, who suffered injuries in the detonation. Preliminary investigations indicate he created a homemade bomb that exploded within the mosque.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of confusion and terror. Many of the injured, primarily students, experienced burns and blast-related injuries. A school cook, who rushed outside upon hearing the explosion and observing thick white smoke billowing from the mosque windows, said, “Our hearts were racing, we were struggling to breathe.”
Emergency responders and a bomb disposal unit arrived swiftly to secure the perimeter and search for any remaining explosives. Authorities eventually located two firearm-like items at the site, initially thought to be genuine weapons. One appeared to contain alarming inscriptions referencing Brenton Tarrant, the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter.
However, officials later confirmed that these items were replicas or toy guns, alleviating some initial concerns. Nonetheless, the inscriptions have sparked significant worry regarding the suspect’s potential exposure to violent online material.
Students informed local reporters that the suspect was a reserved individual who often isolated himself and had faced bullying from peers. Some classmates recalled witnessing him engage in violent doodles and exhibit unusual behavior in the weeks leading up to the event.
Authorities have secured the area and are gathering evidence for forensic analysis. As the investigation unfolds, attention remains on uncovering the motive and averting further incidents that could disturb Indonesia’s educational environments.
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