A man carrying a small explosive in a backpack caused a small explosion at St. Yoseph Catholic Church on Jl. Dr Mansyur in Medan, North Sumatra, Sunday (Aug 28) morning at about 8am, reportedly only injuring himself.

No casualties among the congregation were reported.

Witness Timbas Tarigan, who was among the congregation, told The Jakarta Post, the perpetrator was sitting among others during church mass when suddenly his backpack exploded. He sustained minor injuries but that did not stop him from pulling an axe from his bag, where he then attempted to attack the priest on the pulpit at the time.

The congregation, however, managed to restrain him.

By 10.20am local time the church had been evacuated and the police had secured the area. The police had also detonated the perpetrator’s belongings to defuse any possible remaining explosives.

The perpetrator was still inside the church with the police at 10.20am. 

Tarigan said churchgoers also noticed paraphernalia with symbols resembling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) logo among the belongings of the perpetrator in the church.

(The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network)