International

8 killed in 3 church explosions in Indonesia

Suspected suicide bombers struck three different churches in Indonesia on Sunday morning, killing at least eight people and injuring scores more, police say.

Thirty-eight people were taken to hospital with injuries following the attacks in Surabaya, a port city on the east coast of Java Island, East Java Police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera said.

The explosions targeted the Santa Maria Catholic Church, the Indonesian Christian Church and the Pentecost Central Church. The St. Maria explosion killed four people and two people were killed at each of the other two churches, the spokesman said.

St. Maria was the site of the first blast, which occurred at 7.30 a.m. local time Sunday (8.30 p.m. Saturday ET), before blasts at 7.35 a.m. and 8 a.m., state-run news agency Antara quoted him as saying.

"Right now there are only three locations. Do not believe in misleading information that (the bomb) exploded in five locations or any others," the police spokesman added.

"We suspect it is a suicide bomb attempt. We have identified one victim," he said. Two police officers were among those taken to hospital with injuries after the St. Maria explosion.

The police spokesman declined to give more details on the victims. 

Police have closed off all three locations as they work to identify the victims.

Source: CNN