JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian student suspected in last week’s bomb attack on a high school mosque had assembled small-scale explosive devices at home and wanted to copy extremists he found online but had no links with any militant networks, authorities said Tuesday. Police investigators described the 17-year-old, who was among the 96 injured […]
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An Indonesian teen suspected in mosque attack built bombs alone at home, police say
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian student suspected in last week’s bomb attack on a high school mosque had assembled small-scale explosive devices at home and wanted to copy extremists he found online but had no links with any militant networks, authorities said Tuesday.
Police investigators described the 17-year-old, who was among the 96 injured in Friday’s blasts in Jakarta, as a loner obsessed with violent and extreme contents. The student, who was not identified, was still recovering at a hospital after two surgeries.
“This boy had been motivated to launch such an action,” Jakarta Police Director of General Criminal Investigation Iman Imanuddin told a news conference. “He felt alone and had no place to express his complaints, either to his family, the community or at school.”
The student assembled seven bombs — four of which went off — using very simple materials, including 6-volt batteries, plastic jerry cans, remote controls and sharp nails intended to cause harm, said Henik Maryanto of the police mobile brigade unit.
“We have secured the remaining active bombs that failed to explode,” Maryanto said, adding that the suspect put them together alone by following instructions from the internet.
Police also recovered a toy submachine gun belonging to the suspect and inscribed with what appeared to be white supremacist slogans and the names of international extremists, including neo-Nazis convicted of deadly attacks in Canada and Italy, a mosque attacker in New Zealand as well as Columbine High School shooter.
“Those symbols and names are just violent figures and ideology that inspired the teenager to copycat, but there is no connection between the suspect and any terrorist network,” said Mayndra Eka Wardhana, the spokesperson for the elite counterterrorism squad.
He said the suspect could not be charged under Indonesia’s strict anti-terrorism law, but could face charges of premeditated serious assault that can carry up to 12 years in prison.
Authorities said more than half of 96 injured students suffered hearing loss, four of them sudden deafness, and 11 students were still being treated on Tuesday, including one in critical condition from burns.