Police: Perpetrator of Bomb Explosion at MAN 3 Padang Not Linked to Terrorist Network
Padang (ANTARA) - The Padang City Police have stated that the perpetrator of a homemade bomb explosion at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 Padang, West Sumatra, on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, was not part of a terrorist network.
Head of the Padang Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Commissioner M Yasin, said in Padang on Monday that this conclusion was based on the examination conducted by investigators on the perpetrator.
“From the results of the examination, it was determined that the perpetrator was not indicated or affiliated with any terrorist network,” Yasin said.
Furthermore, he stated that the perpetrator, R, a 17-year-old student at MAN 3 Padang, was also not a so-called ‘lone wolf’. The term lone wolf refers to an individual who has been exposed to radical ideology but plans and executes an attack alone without being tied to any group.
“So, this perpetrator is also not a lone wolf. His action of assembling an explosive device was purely driven by curiosity,” he explained.
He further clarified that the reason the perpetrator dared to detonate the object in the schoolyard was due to frustration over being bullied. To investigators, R admitted that he had been a victim of bullying, both verbal and non-verbal, since elementary school up to his current grade at MAN.
Yasin said that the case involving the homemade bomb explosion at MAN 3 Padang is still under investigation. Police have examined and taken statements from witnesses related to the incident, including school officials and several students.
“We will handle this case professionally and thoroughly, while still considering all aspects that may have influenced the incident,” he said.
The homemade bomb explosion occurred in the yard of MAN 3 Padang on Tuesday (14/7), specifically on a terrace beside a classroom. The incident resulted in no casualties or significant damage, but the loud blast startled and caused panic among the school community.
From the police investigation, it has so far been revealed that R learned how to make the explosive device from the internet over a period of approximately four months. He assembled the device alone, secretly, without the knowledge of his parents or other family members.