Jakarta attack: at least seven killed by bombs and gunfire
Isis claims responsibility after six explosions are followed by gun battles in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Five attackers are believed to be among the dead.
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The first blast happened at around 10.30 local time outsides a Starbucks coffee shop at a major intersection in the Indonesian capital. It was followed in quick succession by five more blasts.
A nearby police booth was hit by one of the explosions, and three bodies were seen lying in the street nearby. As crowds gathered at the site, at least two gunmen opened fire on police officers.
One of the blasts happened near the United Nations HQ in the city, and local media reported that a Dutch national working for the UN had been gravely injured.
Apparent #suicidebomber literally 100m from the office and my hotel. Now gunfire
— Jeremy Douglas (@jdouglasSEA) January 14, 2016
Indonesian police rushed to lock down the area, but did not regain control until five hours after the first bomb.
Islamic State responsible
Jakarta’s police chief Tito Karnavian told reporters that the so-called Islamic State terrorist group “is behind this attack definitely”. He added that an Indonesian Islamic State fighter called Baharun Naim, who is believed to be in Syria, had been “planning this for a while.”
In December 2015 nine suspected Isis terrorists were arrested with documents suggesting they were planning to “do a concert”, which at the time was said to indicate plans to attack Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan.
Starbucks later said that one customer had been injured and all its branches in Jakarta would be closed on Thursday “out of an abundance of caution.”
A massive #bomb went off in front of our new #Indonesia office as @collie_brown & I exit car. Chaos & we’re going into lock-down
— Jeremy Douglas (@jdouglasSEA) January 14, 2016