JAKARTA, DEC 25: At least five people were killed and more than 30 injured in explosions detonated outside Christian churches across Indonesia, as Christians celebrated Christmas Eve police said.In what appeared to be a coordinated attack on the Christian community in the world's most populous Muslim nation, two were killed in the capital Jakarta, and three in the province of Riau on Sumatra island, hospital staff said.
Police said they could not confirm whether the explosions were caused by bombs.
The blasts occurred outside Jakarta's cathedral, three Roman Catholic churches and at one Prostestant church, police said.
At least one corpse and 13 injured had been admitted to the state Citpo Mangunkusumo hospital, according to an emergency ward employee at the hospital.
Another body was admitted to the Saint Carolus Catholic hospital, where 14 others were treated for injuries, a nurse at the emergency ward said.
``We don't yet know,'' said an official at the operations center of Jakarta police headquarters, when asked if the explosions were caused by bombs.
``They are just explosions. We cannot yet at this stage say what they are,'' National police spokesman Salah Saaf said.
Saaf said nine witnesses had been questioned.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
