Qatar deplored targeting places of worship and the terrorising of believers, regardless of religions and personal beliefs.

Qatar has expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the suicide bombing that took struck a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Palm Sunday. 

In a statement by Qatar’s Foreign Minister, the Gulf state reiterated its firm position on rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons.

Doha denounced the targeting of places of worship and as well as the terrorising of believers, wishing those affected a speedy recovery.

It came after reports confirmed that suicide bombers attacked a church in Makassar on the first day of the Christian Easter week.

The blast wounded at least 20 people including church workers and worshippers, according to Indonesian news outlet, Kompas TV.

Two attackers died in the attack, the reports added, noting one detonated his explosives and died near the side entrance of the church. 

The congregation was inside the place of worship when the explosion rocked the city, South Sulawesi police spokesman E. Zulpan told Reuters.  

“We see that there are victims and parts of human bodies have been torn apart. We do not know yet whether they are from the perpetrator or from the people who were close by,” he said.

A priest at the church, Father Wilhemus Tulak, told local media that the suspected bombers tried to enter the church grounds on motorbikes, but security guards stopped them from entering. However, they were not able  to prevent them from committing the crime. 

“The city’s Mayor Danny Pomanto said the blast could have caused far more casualties if it had taken place at the church’s main gate instead of a side entrance,” stated news reports. 

Extremists have on several occasions targeted churches in Indonesia.

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