Indonesia links church attacks to local Islamic State-inspired group

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A series of attacks in Indonesia by suicide bombers on churches in the city of Surabaya were suspected to be carried out by the Islamic state-inspired group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a spokesman for the country's intelligence agency said on Sunday.

Wawan Purwanto, communication director at the agency, also told Metro TV that the attacks were likely to be linked to a deadly prison hostage incident at a jail near Jakarta involving Islamist militants last week.

Asked who he thought were the brains behind the attacks, Purwano said: "Still the old group, JAD, who has planned this for sometime."

(Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy; Writing by Ed Davies. Editing by Lincoln Feast.)