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2002 Makassar Bombing

SOLVED2002Ratu Indah Mall, Makassar, Indonesia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the evening of 5 December 2002, coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of Ramadan, a bomb detonated inside a McDonald's restaurant located in the Ratu Indah shopping mall in Makassar, Indonesia. The blast killed three people, including one of the bombers, and injured 15 others. A second bombing occurred the same day at a car dealership a few miles away; no one was injured in that attack. Both the McDonald's restaurant and the car dealership were owned by Jusuf Kalla, who was Indonesia's vice president at the time.

Investigators attributed the attacks to the Islamic group Laskar Jundullah. It has been suggested the bombings were motivated by opposition to a peace deal reached in Poso and to Kalla's public support for that peace process, including remarks he made at the United Nations General Assembly advocating dialogue and peaceful dispute resolution. Another possible motive cited is that the attack was intended to target a senior-level Indonesian politician through his business interests.

The investigation led to the questioning of suspects Agung Abdul Hamid, then 36, and Munir Ansori, then 28, at Yogyakarta Police Station, following arrests led by the Adjunct Commissioner of Police Triatmojo of the South Sulawesi Regional Political Anti-Terror team. Munir Ansori was arrested on 27 September 2004 at Jalan Mageland, Blunyah Tegarejo, where he had reportedly been disguising himself as a used-goods trader at the Klithikan traditional market. Agung Abdul Hamid was arrested on 3 October 2004 at Jalan Mangkubumi, Yogyakarta, having reportedly posed as an onion trader moving between towns. Both were transported by commercial aircraft from Adisucipto Airport to Makassar.

On 15 August 2005, Agung Abdul Hamid was tried at the Makassar District Court and found guilty of planning and executing the bombing; reporting on the case describes both a life imprisonment sentence and, in an earlier reference, an 18-year sentence tied to his role in planning and carrying out the attack. Other individuals were also convicted for their roles: Ilham Riady, charged along with Anton Bin Labbase for overall planning of the bombing, received an eight-year sentence. Galazi Bin Abdul Somad, described as a militant who transported explosives to the bombers, received an 18-year sentence.

Police investigators have said there are links between the Makassar bombing and the Bali bombings of 2002, noting that both attacks have been attributed to the Jemaah Islamiyah network — from which Laskar Jundullah is said to have drawn its beliefs — and that some individuals involved in each attack were known to one another. Both attacks have also been characterized as targeting symbols associated with Western culture, McDonald's as a Western brand and Bali as a major Western tourist destination. No official police statement has confirmed a formal operational link between the two events.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2002
Location
Ratu Indah Mall, Makassar, Indonesia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2002-12-05

    A bomb exploded inside a McDonald's restaurant in the Ratu Indah shopping mall in Makassar, killing three people and injuring 15; a second bombing, causing no injuries, occurred the same day at a nearby car dealership also owned by Jusuf Kalla.

  2. 2004-09-27

    Suspect Munir Ansori was arrested in Blunyah Tegarejo, Yogyakarta.

  3. 2004-10-03

    Suspect Agung Abdul Hamid was arrested in Jalan Mangkubumi, Yogyakarta.

  4. 2005-08-15

    Agung Abdul Hamid was tried and found guilty at the Makassar District Court in connection with the bombing.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Munir Ansori

    CHARGED

    Suspect arrested on 27 September 2004 and questioned in connection with the bombing.

    citation on file

  • Anton Bin Labbase

    CHARGED

    Charged with overall planning of the McDonald's bombing.

    citation on file

  • Ilham Riady

    CONVICTED

    Charged with overall planning of the bombing and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.

    citation on file

  • Agung Abdul Hamid

    CONVICTED

    Leader of Laskar Jundullah; convicted at Makassar District Court on 15 August 2005 for planning and executing the bombing; sources describe both a life sentence and an 18-year sentence.

    citation on file

  • Galazi Bin Abdul Somad

    CONVICTED

    Militant who transported explosives to the bombers; sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.

    citation on file

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A bomb exploded inside a McDonald's restaurant in the Ratu Indah shopping mall in Makassar, Indonesia, on 5 December 2002, killing three people and injuring 15 others; a second, non-injurious bombing occurred the same evening at a nearby car dealership.
Where did the bombing happen?
Ratu Indah Mall, Makassar, Indonesia.
Who was convicted?
Ilham Riady (Charged with overall planning of the bombing and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.), Agung Abdul Hamid (Leader of Laskar Jundullah; convicted at Makassar District Court on 15 August 2005 for planning and executing the bombing; sources describe both a life sentence and an 18-year sentence.), and Galazi Bin Abdul Somad (Militant who transported explosives to the bombers; sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2002 Makassar bombingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — ABC News (Australia)news · ABC News (Australia) · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — The Sydney Morning Heraldnews · The Sydney Morning Herald · 2026-07-07