Incident Summary:

12/24/2000: In a near simultaneous string of related attacks in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities, suspected Jemaah Islamiyah perpetrators planted a bomb at the Protestant Church in Bekasi, Indonesia. The bomb exploded around 9:05 p.m., and the bomb squad disabled two other devices. There were no casualties reported at this location, however the entire series of attacks killed 19 and wounded at least 118.

GTD ID:
200012240015

When:
2000-12-24

Country:
Indonesia

Region:
Southeast Asia

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

West Java

City:
Bekasi

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Bombing/Explosion
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Religious Figures/Institutions
Name of Entity Protestant Church
Specific Description Protestant Church
Nationality of Target Indonesia
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Unknown
Extent of Property Damage Unknown
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Unknown Explosive Type
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information This was one of thirty-nine related attacks (cf. 200012240001-39). Many of the bombs were placed in cars outside churches, and all detonated at the same time of day. All of the attacks targeted the minority Christian population in Indonesia. Several militant Islamic groups and separatist fighters in the restive northwestern province of Aceh denied involvement in the bombings. President Abdurrahman Wahid accused forces linked to Indonesia's former dictatorship of orchestrating the series of church bombings. Wahid, a respected Muslim scholar, called the blasts un-Islamic and said they were aimed at dividing the country along religious lines, stifling reforms and bringing down his government. No one has claimed responsibility for the 39 bombings and attempted bombings throughout Indonesia.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Jemaah Islamiya (JI) (suspected) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
“Bomb Blasts Outside Churches in Indonesia Kill at Least 6; Blasts Deepen Rift Between Muslims and Christians,” St. Louis-Dispatch (Missouri), December 25, 2000.
“Terrorist Attacks: The Positive Outcomes,” The Jakarta Post, December 26, 2002.
“'At Least' 15 People Killed in Christmas Eve Bombings Across Indonesia,” The Jakarta Post (Internet Version-WWW), December 25, 2000.