JAKARTA, Indonesia — A suicide bomber blew himself up as police were praying Friday, wounding 28 people in the first attack on a mosque since extremists started targeting the predominantly Muslim country a decade ago.
The victims — including a local police chief — were rushed to hospitals with nails, nuts and bolts embedded in their bodies, said Yeni Rahmawati, a hospital spokeswoman.
Though houses of worship are commonly targeted by militants in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, the attack in the West Java town of Cirebon was a first for Indonesia.
Experts worry it could signal a “hardening” of local militants and a shift in tactics.
