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Jakarta Post

Police investigate firecracker explosion at Catholic church in Ambarawa

Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, April 14, 2017

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Police investigate firecracker explosion at Catholic church in Ambarawa On alert: National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rikwanto (left) explains security challenges in a press conference in Jakarta on Dec. 26, 2016. (Antara/Reno Esnir)

P

olice are trying to discover the motives behind a firecracker explosion near a Catholic church in Ambarawa, Semarang regency, Central Java, on Thursday afternoon.

National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rikwanto said police had detained 37-year-old local resident Muhammad Fahrudin, who was suspected to have set off the firecrackers.

According to the police report, Fahrudin was seen by some witnesses as acting suspiciously around St. Yusuf Catholic church on Jl. Sugiyopranoto and ran away when he was approached by a church member.

“Several minutes after that, explosions were heard [from the place where Fahrudin had been spotted],” Rikwanto said in a statement sent to the The Jakarta Post.

(Read also: Firecracker explodes near Catholic church in Ambarawa)

The sounds of explosions were heard emanating from a location near the fence of the church. Members of the congregation were busy preparing for a service on Friday when the incident occurred.

Witnesses reported the incident to police officers who were on standby not far from the church. Fahrudin was arrested not long afterward and brought to the Ambarawa Police office for interrogation, Rikwanto said.

He said police seized, among other things, 16 firecrackers, one lighter and five energy drink bottles, but it was not clear what these bottles were for. (ebf)

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