Two Indonesian Churches Receive Bomb Threats

Compass Direct News reports that two churches in the greater Jakarta area have received bomb threats. In East Jakarta, the pastor of a Batak Protestant Christian Church received a threatening phone call before Sunday services on Oct. 4. The church building is located near the headquarters of an elite police corps. The unknown caller to the Rev. Abidan Simanungkalit's cell phone said the bomb would explode during the morning worship service. The pastor immediately called police, who discovered a fake bomb hidden in the back of the church. In the north of Jakarta, a church leader of a BethelIndonesia congregation received a similar threat the previous day, Oct. 3. Police did not find any explosives during their search. Officers speculated that the caller was unable to construct a real bomb but wanted to publicize a threat.