Teenage attacker of Medan church is obsessed with ISIS leader: Minister

Indonesian mobile brigade policemen stand guard after an attempted suicide bombing by an unidentified man at St Yoseph Catholic Church in Medan, Indonesia on Aug 28, 2016. PHOTO: EPA

JAKARTA (REUTERS) - A knife-wielding Indonesian teen who tried to attack a priest at a church during a Sunday service was "obsessed" with the extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a senior minister said on Monday (Aug 29).

The Indonesian authorities are increasingly worried about a resurgence in radicalism in the world's largest Muslim-majority country, driven in part by a new generation of militants inspired by ISIS.

"From the cellphone that was seized by security forces, this youth was obsessed with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," Chief Security Minister Wiranto told reporters, referring to the leader of the Middle Eastern militant group.

General Wiranto, who goes by one name, said a note was found in the attacker's backpack that said "I love al-Baghdadi" but added the suspect had no known links to existing militant networks.

There were no serious casualties in the latest attempted attack, which happened in a church in Medan, northern Sumatra.

Police said the attacker had attempted to stab the priest, who suffered minor injuries, and detonate a crude home-made bomb but failed after being restrained by other worshippers.

The suspect, identified as 17-year-old Ivan Armadi, is under interrogation. Police seized bomb-making materials from his home after the attack and said he had learned to assemble a bomb through online research.

Counter-terrorism officials have said there are hundreds of ISIS sympathisers in Indonesia, where the vast majority of Muslims practise a moderate form of the religion.

The country suffered its first ISIS-linked attack in January, when four people died in a gun and bomb assault.

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