A would-be suicide bomber, who attacked a church in western Indonesia last month, has links with an IS leader in Syria as the group is trying to use a new modus operandi, police chief said on Monday.

The 17-year-old Ivan Ahmadi Hasugian had often contacted Bahrun Naim, the IS leader for Southeast Asia, before he attempted to blow himself up in Santa Yosep Catholic church in Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatra, on Aug. 28, National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said.

"He (Ahmadi) has directly contacted Bahrun Naim who is in Raqqa of Syria," he told lawmakers in a hearing at the parliament building.

The general revealed that the church attack was plotted in a new style.

The IS group recruits a new member aged below 18 years and directly teaches the young militant the way of assembling bomb and launching a strike, said Karnavian.

"This is a new phenomenon by recruiting a teenager under 18 years old," he added.

Carrying bombs in his backpack, Ahmadi attacked a priest with an ax after he failed to blow himself up in the church. The attacker wounded the priest and two congregation participants who tackled the him.

Six bombs assembled by Ahmadi were found inside his backpack along with a message of "I love al-Baghdadi," the leader and founder of the IS group, Security Chief Minister Wiranto has said.

Church has been among the main targets of the militants in Indonesia since 2000, leaving scores of casualties.

Source : XINHUA