Padang Student Learnt Bomb-Making Online, Inspired by Jakarta School Case

A 17-year-old student, identified as R, brought a homemade bomb that was detonated at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 Padang, West Sumatra. Police said R learned to assemble the bomb from the internet and was inspired by a case at SMAN 72 Jakarta.

“The suspect also admitted to studying the manufacture of explosive materials online and was inspired by the bomb incident at a high school in Jakarta in 2025,” said National Police Densus 88 Antiterror spokesperson, Commissioner Mayndra Eka, when contacted on Tuesday (14/7/2026).

Based on the suspect’s initial statement, the device was allegedly assembled independently using materials obtained online and made at home without his parents’ knowledge.

“The perpetrator also admitted to having joined a number of online groups that discuss the manufacture of explosives. All of these statements are still in the process of verification and further investigation by law enforcement,” Mayndra said.

The explosion occurred on Tuesday at MAN 3, located in Balai Gadang Village, Koto Tengah District, Padang City. The West Sumatra Regional Police and the National Police’s Densus 88 are investigating the case.

“It exploded once, beside a classroom. There were no casualties,” he stated.

Mayndra explained that the suspected homemade bomb was first discovered by a school security officer. The school immediately reported the incident to the police.

“From the initial examination, officers secured a number of items, including a black box, a black bag, a mobile phone, firecrackers, a knife, arrows, marbles, bolts, and several other items,” he said.

After tracing the items, police conducted initial handling of R. Based on the preliminary investigation, the items are believed to belong to R.

“The identity of the victim referred to as the target of the planned action comes from the perpetrator’s statement and still requires further investigation,” he said.

There were no fatalities in the incident. R and the evidence have been secured by the police. Densus 88 and the West Sumatra Regional Police are questioning witnesses to deepen the case.