Police said the blasts took place just as the sermon began at the mosque of SMA 72, located within a navy compound in northern Jakarta’s Kelapa Gading area. Witnesses reported hearing two loud explosions, sending students running in panic as smoke filled the mosque.
Authorities have ruled out labeling the incident as terrorism for now, saying investigations are still underway to determine the cause and motive.
National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo confirmed that the suspect, a male student of the same school, was undergoing surgery for serious injuries along with another student. “We have identified the suspected perpetrator,” Sigit said, adding that police were examining the boy’s background, home, and possible links.
Investigators also recovered a toy submachine gun with markings that included “14 words. For Agartha,” and “Brenton Tarrant: Welcome to hell.” The phrases are linked to white supremacist slogans and the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand.
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The cause of the explosions is still unclear, but early findings suggest they may have originated near the mosque’s loudspeaker. Most of the victims suffered burns and glass injuries; 20 students remain hospitalized, three in serious condition.
Videos shared on social media showed terrified students in uniform fleeing across the basketball court, some bleeding and covering their ears. Families gathered anxiously at nearby hospitals seeking news of their children.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has faced several extremist-linked attacks in the past, though police stressed that this latest incident is not yet confirmed as a terror act.
The mosque blasts have shocked Indonesia, raising questions about youth radicalization and school safety. Authorities are investigating whether the teenage suspect acted alone or was influenced by extremist ideologies online. While the motive remains unclear, the event has reignited debates about preventing violence within educational spaces.
