A nail bomb attack on a Christian market in Palu killed 8 and wounded 53, highlighting ongoing sectarian tensions in Central Sulawesi.
Key Facts
- Date
- 31 December 2005
- Deaths
- 8 people
- Wounded
- 53 people
- Device type
- Nail bomb (improvised explosive device)
- Suspected perpetrator
- Jemaah Islamiyah
- Second device
- Found ~4 metres away and defused
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Central Sulawesi had experienced severe sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim factions from 1998 to 2002, claiming over a thousand lives. Indonesian authorities suspected Jemaah Islamiyah carried out the attack in retaliation for the death of militant Azahari Husin, killed in a security operation in East Java on 9 November 2005.
On 31 December 2005, an improvised nail bomb detonated at approximately 7:00 a.m. inside a butcher's market in Palu frequented by Christians preparing for New Year's Eve. The market sold pig and dog meat, items forbidden under Islamic custom. A second explosive device was discovered nearby and successfully defused.
The attack killed eight people and wounded 53 others. Indonesian Security Minister Widodo Adisucipto publicly linked the bombing to Jemaah Islamiyah. The incident underscored the fragility of peace in a province that had previously endured years of widespread communal bloodshed, and raised concerns about continued Islamist militant activity in the region.