<p>An Indonesian cathedral was rocked by a suspected suicide bombing on Sunday with body parts littering the chaotic scene as Christians inside celebrated the start of Holy Week, police said.</p>.<p>The powerful blast at the church in Makassar city on Sulawesi island happened around 10:30 am local time (0330 GMT) and left at least one person dead and nine church officials and congregants injured, according to authorities.</p>.<p>It was not immediately clear if any of the injuries were life-threatening.</p>.<p>"We suspect it was a suicide bombing," South Sulawesi police chief Merdisyam, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told reporters.</p>.<p>"We're now trying to confirm his identity," he added, referring to the suspected attacker.</p>.<p>A church security guard tried to prevent a man on a motorbike from entering the compound when the blast occurred, with images from the scene showing what appeared to be a body lying inside the parking lot.</p>.<p>Churches have been targeted in the past by extremists in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.</p>.<p>In 2018, a dozen people were killed when a family of suicide bombers blew themselves up at churches during Sunday services in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya.</p>.<p>The family -- including two daughters, aged nine and 12 -- and another family of five, which carried out the suicide bombing of a police headquarters, all belonged to the same Koran study group and were linked to local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.</p>.<p>Earlier Sunday, Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan said: "There are many body parts here at the church compound as well as in the street."</p>.<p>News footage showed cars near the building were damaged as police cordoned off the area following the explosion.</p>.<p>The explosion at the city's main Catholic cathedral happened just after congregants finished celebrating Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, which commemorates Jesus's entry into Jerusalem.</p>.<p>It comes a week before Easter.</p>.<p>"We were finishing the service and people were going home when it happened," a man identified as the church's pastor told local media.</p>.<p>An eyewitness at the scene described the explosion as "very strong".</p>
<p>An Indonesian cathedral was rocked by a suspected suicide bombing on Sunday with body parts littering the chaotic scene as Christians inside celebrated the start of Holy Week, police said.</p>.<p>The powerful blast at the church in Makassar city on Sulawesi island happened around 10:30 am local time (0330 GMT) and left at least one person dead and nine church officials and congregants injured, according to authorities.</p>.<p>It was not immediately clear if any of the injuries were life-threatening.</p>.<p>"We suspect it was a suicide bombing," South Sulawesi police chief Merdisyam, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told reporters.</p>.<p>"We're now trying to confirm his identity," he added, referring to the suspected attacker.</p>.<p>A church security guard tried to prevent a man on a motorbike from entering the compound when the blast occurred, with images from the scene showing what appeared to be a body lying inside the parking lot.</p>.<p>Churches have been targeted in the past by extremists in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.</p>.<p>In 2018, a dozen people were killed when a family of suicide bombers blew themselves up at churches during Sunday services in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya.</p>.<p>The family -- including two daughters, aged nine and 12 -- and another family of five, which carried out the suicide bombing of a police headquarters, all belonged to the same Koran study group and were linked to local extremist network Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.</p>.<p>Earlier Sunday, Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan said: "There are many body parts here at the church compound as well as in the street."</p>.<p>News footage showed cars near the building were damaged as police cordoned off the area following the explosion.</p>.<p>The explosion at the city's main Catholic cathedral happened just after congregants finished celebrating Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, which commemorates Jesus's entry into Jerusalem.</p>.<p>It comes a week before Easter.</p>.<p>"We were finishing the service and people were going home when it happened," a man identified as the church's pastor told local media.</p>.<p>An eyewitness at the scene described the explosion as "very strong".</p>