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Police say personal, not religious, motive may be behind Indonesia blasts

The suspect behind the blasts at state high school SMAN 72 Jakarta learned how to assemble explosive devices from online sources, said Indonesia's counterterrorism police unit Densus 88 on Tuesday (Nov 11).

Police say personal, not religious, motive may be behind Indonesia blasts
A worker inside the mosque where explosions occurred the previous day. (Photo: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)

JAKARTA: The suspect behind the blasts at state high school SMAN 72 Jakarta last Friday (Nov 7) acted alone and learned how to assemble explosive devices from online sources, said Indonesia's counterterrorism police unit Densus 88 on Tuesday.

A day earlier, the police said the suspect may not have set off the explosions for religious reasons, and that a personal motive may be involved.

More than 50 people were taken to hospital with burns and other injuries after the blasts during Friday prayers at the mosque inside a school complex in the Indonesian capital's Kelapa Gading area.

"The perpetrator is not anti any specific religion," Jakarta police spokesperson Budi Hermanto said on Monday, according to the Antara state news agency.

He added it was suspected the perpetrator felt neglected by family members "and it piled up".

Last Saturday, police said their chief suspect, a 17-year-old student, had undergone surgery after the attack. They did not say whether the student had been arrested or mention any other legal proceedings.

Officers found suspected explosive powder and written material, police added.

Densus 88 disclosed more details in a statement on Tuesday.

“The bomb was assembled independently, and the perpetrator accessed bomb-making instructions on the internet,” its spokesperson Mayndra Eka Wardhana said, as reported by news outlet Jakarta Globe.
A victim of the mosque explosion at Cempaka Putih Islamic Hospital in Central Jakarta on Nov 7, 2025 (Photo: CNA/Kiki Siregar)
Police earlier said they recovered seven explosive devices at the school. Four of them had detonated while three others failed to explode.
 
The authorities have not officially disclosed the origins of the materials used. 
 
The police also discovered a toy rifle at the scene that bore references to convicted mass killers including Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people in a terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand in 2019. 
 
National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the suspect is believed to be a student, and investigators are now focusing on motive and background. 
 
Police confirmed the suspect has no links to any terrorist group. 
 
Indonesia's Child Protection Commission (KPAI) said on Monday it has yet to find any evidence or verified reports supporting allegations of bullying linked to the explosion, Jakarta Globe reported. 
Source: Reuters/cc
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