Child Suicide Bombers Blow Up Christian Churches in Indonesia

At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured Sunday in almost simultaneous suicide bombings at three different Christian churches in Indonesia. The blasts went off in Surabaya, the country’s second-largest city after Jakarta, while Christians were attending Sunday mass. While Indonesia has suffered a spate of terrorist attacks in recent months, this appears to be the first time children were involved in carrying out the bombings. Police say a family of six inspired by the so-called Islamic State split up to hit three different sites, with the husband striking one church while his wife and four children targeted two others. The mother, accompanied by her 9-year-old and 12-year-old daughters who were also carrying bombs, reportedly detonated a device at a security checkpoint at one church while the couple’s two teenage sons used a motorbike to attack the third. The so-called Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the triple bombing.