An attack on a place of worship, for whatever motive or justification, constitutes a heinous crime and the worst form of violation of the freedom of religion this country strongly upholds. Unfortunately, places of worship have proven vulnerable to terror attacks.

Police said two people were suspected of perpetrating the bombing, which took place just after congregants had completed their morning service for Palm Sunday, which precedes the Holy Week leading up to Easter, the most important event in Christianity. The bomb, which police classified as highly explosive, went off shortly after a church security guard had denied entry to the two suspected bombers, who were riding a motorcycle.

Body parts were found at the crime scene, but South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Merdisyam could not confirm whether both or one of the suspected bombers were killed, pending a forensic examination.

While little is known so far about the perpetrators and the motive behind the suicide bombing, the South Sulawesi Police and the National Police’s counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, had arrested 20 suspected members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) terror group in three South Sulawesi towns, including Makassar, in January. During the crackdown, two terrorist suspects were shot dead.

Some observers believe JAD, which is affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, is responsible for the cathedral attack. One observer went as far as to suggest that the two suspected perpetrators were a married couple.

JAD has been linked to previous attacks, especially on churches, in the country, notably the blasts at three churches in Surabaya in May 2018, which left 18 people dead, including a family of six who carried out the suicide bombing. Police said the family had just returned from Syria.

The recurring attacks show that terrorism remains a latent threat to national security. As in the case of the Makassar bombing, terror groups would seek every path to retaliate and perpetrate attacks to send a message they are still alive.

Following the Surabaya bombings, the government and the House of Representatives approved stringent antiterror legislation, which allows law enforcement authorities to take necessary measures to preempt attacks. The police will for sure carry on their crackdowns on terrorist cells, as happened in South Sulawesi in January.

But law enforcement alone is not enough to eradicate terrorism. Many would agree that terrorism is rooted in religious extremism, which the government and mainstream religious groups are fighting through their campaign for moderation and tolerance.

All those organizations have denounced the act of terror in Makassar, but a far heavier challenge awaits them: Promote religion as a medium of peace and mutual respect.