Authorities in Indonesia Prevented a Planned Attack on the Life of Pope Francis Before his Visit

The authorities in Indonesia arrested terrorist suspects planning attack on Pope Francis before his visit to the country.  Seven people in Indonesia were detained after a failed plot to attack the Pope during his visit to the country. 

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Local media says the people were taken by police on September 2nd and 3rd in Jakarta,  Bogor and Bekasi. Spokesperson Colonel Aswin Siregar told reporters that investigations are still ongoing.

“There was also a threat to set fire to the locations, ” the media added. Counter-terrorism forces in Indonesia arrested seven suspects on terrorism charges before and during Pope Francis’ visit to the country Sept. 3-6, local media outlets reported.

Special Detachment Densus 88, an elite counter-terrorism force, arrested the seven suspects from different parts of the country following their social media posts threatening to bomb and otherwise kill the pope and burn down sites of his appearances in Jakarta, media outlets reported.
“Densus 88 has taken legal action against seven individuals…who made threats in the form of propaganda or terror threats via social media in response to the pope’s arrival,” special detachment spokesman Aswin Siregar told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday (Sept. 5), according to the Jakarta Post. “There was also a threat to set fire to the locations the pope paid courtesy visits.”
Though the suspects came from different areas with no links to each other, most suspected terrorists are connected with or influenced by Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State, Kompas.com reported. Aswin gave no information on the motives of the suspects.
Two of the suspected terrorists were arrested on Sept. 2, one in Jakarta and another later that day in Bogor, West Java Province, about 31 miles east of Jakarta. The next day, three others were arrested in Bekasi, about 29 miles east of Jakarta, with at least one reportedly linked to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Indonesia ranked 42nd on the Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the WWL report.

Sources: MorningStarNews.org and Romereports