Indonesia: Failed suicide bomber knifes Catholic priest before trying to blow himself up

Priest Albert Pandiangan was holding mass in Medan, located on the western island of Sumatra, when the shocking terror attack took place

A Catholic priest has been stabbed while holding a Sunday service by an ISIS-inspired knifeman who then tried to set off an explosive device but failed.
Priest Albert Pandiangan was giving the mass in the city of Medan in Indonesia, located on the western island of Sumatra.
He was approached by a young man who stabbed him in his left arm, local chief detective Nur Fallah said.
Images of the priest later emerged showing him with a bloodied arm, while the suspect's ID card was found at the scene accompanied with a drawing of the Islamic State terrorist flag.
 ID card of the suspect

Rina Sari Ginting, a spokeswoman for Medan police, said: "A terrorism act was carried out on Sunday morning at the Saint Joseph Catholic Church.

 

Pastor Albert Pandingan

"Police are interrogating the perpetrator... and will search his house for any bomb-making materials."

 

Indonesian policemen guard a blindfolded suspect who attacked a priest in Medan

Parishioners also took to social media to pay tribute to the priest's work in the community.
It is the latest in a string of attacks on religious minorities in the predominantly Muslim country.

Officers at the scene(

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Police have said they do not believe he was acting alone, but are still working to confirm his identity.

Inside the church, where the attacker tried to detonate an explosive devic(

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The attacker was carrying a homemade explosive device.

 

He was arrested after the explosive device did not fully detonate(

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Mr Fallah said: "Somebody tried to kill the priest by pretending to attend the church service and at that time tried to explode something, like a firecracker, but the firecracker didn't explode, it only fumed."