Indonesian suicide bomb latest in string of Ramadan attacks

A suicide bomber died Tuesday morning when he tried to enter police headquarters in the central Javanese city of Solo, Indonesia, authorities said.

The attacker tried to get inside on a motorcycle. When officers tried to stop him, he detonated explosives, Central Police Grand Commissioner Aloysius Liliek Darminto told CNN.

The attacker was killed and one police officer was injured in the attack, Liliek said.

“We are still investigating this and it’s too early to tell who is the perpetrator and which group is behind this terror attack,” he told CNN.

Tuesday’s bombing in Indonesia — which is home to more Muslims than any other country in the world — is the latest in a string of attacks across the globe during the holy month of Ramadan.

The terror group ISIS vowed to shed more blood during the holiday, and so far there have been deadly incidents in Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the last week, though ISIS has not been responsible for all of them.

Ramadan ends Tuesday in many parts of the world.

More attacks in Asia

ISIS has been trying to grow its footprint in Asia recently.

The group carried out its first successful attack in Malaysia Monday and has claimed responsibility for last week’s deadly attack in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, something that the government denies.

Solo, located on the island of Java, is the hometown of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo. It is also home to some of Indonesia’s Islamic hardliners, including jailed radical cleric Abu Bakar Baasyir, who pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014.

Widodo, who was in Padang, Sumatra in western Indonesia when the bombing occurred, addressed the attacks on TV.

“We hope the public will remain calm, as we devotedly enter the last day of the fasting month of Ramadan,” he said. “There is no need to be afraid, in the face of these acts of terror.”

Widodo asked police to investigate the incident and to go after the network behind the attack.

He also condemned the attacks in Bangladesh, Iraq and Saudi Arabia saying, “any act of terrorism, for whatever reason, cannot be tolerated”.

Wave of Muslim condemnation

Monday’s suicide bombing near the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque in Saudi Arabia, one of three that occurred during in a 24 hour span in the country, was especially shocking to the Muslim world.

The explosion took place in Medina, the second-holiest place in Islam after Mecca, took place at a mosque with great historical importance — it was built the the Islamic prophet Muhammad — as a crowd gathered for iftar, the meal that breaks Muslims’ daily fast.

The bombing triggered condemnation from a handful of Muslim states.

“There are no more red lines left for terrorists to cross,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. “Sunnis, Shiites will both remain victims unless we stand united as one.”

Pakistan also denounced the attack.

“The government and the people of Pakistan are in deep anguish over the tragedy and extend their heartfelt condolences to the brotherly government and people of Saudi Arabia over the loss of innocent lives,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a news release.

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