Suicide bomb attack at Indonesia church injures 20

JAKARTA, Indonesia?? A suicide bomber attacked an Indonesian church packed with hundreds of worshippers Sunday, killing himself and wounding at least 20 other people, police and hospital officials said.

The blast in Solo town in Central Java province occurred just as people were filing out at the end of the service.

"Everyone was screaming," a witness told Metro TV. "I saw fiery sparks and, near the entrance, a man dead on the ground, his entrails spilling out. People around him were splattered with blood," said Fani, who goes by only one name, like many Indonesians.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the bombing.

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation of 237 million, has been hit by a string of suicide bombings blamed on the al-Qaida-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah and its offshoots since 2002, when a strike on two Bali nightclubs killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.

Subsequent attacks have been far less deadly, however, and the last occurred more than two years ago, owing to a security crackdown that led to the arrests and convictions of hundreds of Islamic militants.

Bombings by solo "jihadis" have continued, however, often targeting Christians, security officers and members of Islamic sects deemed "blasphemous" by hard-liners.

"This is clearly a suicide bombing," said police spokesman Col. Djihartono, adding that the explosive appeared to have been strapped to the bomber's stomach.

It was packed with nails, nuts and bolts, found scattered around his body.

Around 20 other people were wounded, one critically, said Bambang Sumarsono, a hospital official.

Witnesses said they believed the perpetrator was not a church member.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Drug flow from Mexico on the rise
   2. Luxurious Libyan ?Air Force One??
   3. Glamorous gay dance scene a 'family' affair
   4. PhotoBlog: World?s biggest music festival opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
   5. Cain upsets Perry at Florida Straw Poll
   6. Tainted?cantaloupe devastates lives
   7. Investors fear governments can't stop recession

"He walked about 4 meters (yards) behind me," Abraham, who attended the service, told El Shinta radio. "I believe he was disguised as a churchgoer."

Indonesia is a secular nation with a long history of religious tolerance, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal ? and violent ? in recent years.

Critics said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies heavily on Islamic parties in parliament, has remained silent as minorities have been attacked by hard-liners or seen their houses of worship torched or boarded up.

___

Associated Press writer Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44658630/ns/world_news/

teamviewer eid gravity medco medco athletics athletics