Perpetrator Husein Ali Al Habsyi | ||
Location Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia Date January 21, 1985 (1985-01-21) | ||
The 1985 Borobudur bombing occurred on 21 January 1985 when nine bombs detonated at the Borobudur Buddhist temple located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. There were no human casualties in this attack, however nine stupas on upper rounded terraces of Arupadhatu were badly damaged by the bombs.
Perpetrator
In 1991, a blind Muslim preacher, Husein Ali Al Habsyi, was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding a series of bombings in the mid-1980s including the temple attack. It is believed that the attack was Indonesian Islamist retaliation on Tanjung Priok massacre in 1984. During trial, Habsyi refused to be held responsible on the attack and mentioned Mohammad Jawad, a mysterious figure, as the true mastermind. Mohammad Jawad remains unknown. On 23 March 1999 Habsyi was pardoned and released by the President B. J. Habibie administration. Two other members of a right-wing extremist group that carried out the bombings were each sentenced to 20 years in 1986 and another man received a 13-year prison term.