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Jakarta attacks: Seven dead in multiple attacks linked to Islamic State
Sydney Morning Herald - January 14, 2016
Multiple explosions hit the city's central business district on Thursday, including two possible suicide bombings. A further 20 people have been injured, some severely, according to Indonesian cabinet secretary Pramono Anung.
Jakarta Police chief Tito Karnavian said the suicide bomber blew himself up outside Starbucks. "As people started to run out of Starbucks, two men who were waiting outside started shooting,"
He said one foreigner died and one is still injured. It is believed one of the victims is Canadian.
Dutch United Nations worker Johan Kieft was confirmed by his colleagues to be "badly injured" after he was shot in the side. Mr Kieft, the head of a Green Economy Unit, was in Starbucks during the explosions.
The police chief said the two men attacked a police posting on nearby Thamrin Road, one of Jakarta's main thoroughfares.
Police found five hand grenades and an explosive device. He said five of the terrorists were killed. "By 3pm the location was cleared," he said.
Mr Karnavian said the terrorist attack was linked to ISIS. "They changed strategy from just attacking Syria to outside places as well," he said. "Like the attack in Paris, Asia is also a target
National police spokesman Anton Charliyan said on Thursday night that the terrorists were "from the ISIS group". "They claimed Indonesia will be in the world headlines," he said. " They said 'they will have a concert'".
When suspected terrorists were arrested before Christmas for allegedly planning attacks in Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan, police seized documents which suggested suspects were planning to "do a concert".
The police spokesman said at the time it was not yet known what concert meant but in the past "bride" had been a code word for suicide bomber.
Husain, an employee at nearby bank, told Fairfax Media: "First there was explosion in front of Starbucks at Marinah just before 11. Then people panicked tried to avoid Starbucks, people ran away. Went to nearby police station and saw a bomb in front of the police station.
"We're terrified, tried to run away shouting 'bomb, bomb'. This guy suddenly was there and opened fire with pistol. Shot the police man in his stomach. After that shot randomly. Witness tried to save police," Husain said.
Another witness, Oly, said the gun shots stopped before police entered a fast food restaurant. "On the streets people just abandoned their vehicles. Just like that and ran," Oly said.
Mr Charliyan said it was unclear whether or not the attackers were killed or fled the scene and police said several suspects had been taken into custody.
But more than an hour after police saying the situation had stabilised, more shots were heard at the scene sending people fleeing and it was still unclear last night how many of the attackers may still be on the loose.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged people to remain calm as rumours of attacks in multiple locations swept like wild fire.
Police said reports of similar explosions in Cikini (Central Jakarta), Kuningan (South Jakarta), Simatupang (South Jakarta) and Slipi (South Jakarta), as well as reports of gunshots in the area of Palmerah (West Jakarta) were a hoax. Attacks were limited to the Central Jakarta area, police said.
"Our nation and our people should not be afraid, we will not be defeated by these acts of terror, I hope the public stay calm," President Widodo said on TV station MetroTV.
"We all are grieving for the fallen victims of this incident, but we also condemn the act that has disturbed the security and peace and spread terror among our people."
Reuters reported that Indonesian police have arrested four suspected militants believed to have been involved in the gun and bomb assault in the centre of the capital.
A third bomb was deactivated by the bomb squad around 6.30pm AEDT in the Starbucks parking lot in Central Jakarta.
A UN building near the scene was in lock-down. Some other high-rise buildings in the area were evacuated.
Indonesia's central bank is located in the same area, and a spokesman for the bank said a policy meeting was going ahead and a decision on interest rates would be announced as planned later in the day.
Indonesia has been on edge in recent weeks over the threat posed by Islamist militants and counter-terrorism police have launched a crackdown on people with suspected links to Islamic State.
Terror expert Taufik Andrie told Fairfax Media the style of attack was "similar to the one used in Paris, so it's possible it has an ISIS link to it. They used bomb and guns. But it is also possible it's done by a terrorist with a different agenda."
"What I find interesting is, they were targeting random public. They were attacking a mall. In recent years, terrorists in Indonesia, target officials, police, not public. If it's ISIS, then they are politically saying, Indonesian Islam, is not "the Islam". They do not acknowledge it, even though 90 per cent of Indonesia is Muslim, it's not ISIS islam."
The Australian government is advising people to avoid the area. ""Australians should avoid the affected area, limit their movements and follow the instructions of local authorities. The overall level of advice has not changed. We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia, including Bali," it said on its website.
"Our embassy is making urgent enquiries with local authorities to determine whether any Australians have been affected. This incident is still unfolding and it is too early to determine the scale of damage or extent of casualties," the office for Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said.
Attorney General George Brandis said the Australian Government has offered law enforcement and intelligence assistance to Indonesia following the deadly attacks in Jakarta today.
"I have contacted my counterpart in Indonesia, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs H. E. Luhut B. Panjaitan, to convey Australia's support," he said.
"The offer follows our recent meeting at the Inaugural Indonesia-Australia Ministerial Council on Law and Security in which we agreed to closer operational and technical counter terrorism cooperation."
The United States Embassy has issued an emergency message to advise all US citizens to avoid the area around Sari Pan Pacific Hotel and Sarinah Plaza in Jalan Sudirman, and Thamrin in Central Jakarta.
Security consultancy firm Hillman Jakarta said told people to limit their movements to "essential only" until the city is confirmed as cleared of all gunmen. It recommended people avoid the Jakarta CBD and all government buildings.
Hours before the attacks fugitive al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al Zawahiri posted a message saying south-East Asia "is ripe for a jihadist revival" and urged attacks like the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Al Zawahiri primarily focused on an older 24-minute posting on al-Qaeda's propaganda arm As Sahab on the region, mentioning Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
That video opens with an old CNN interview with Bali bomber Amrozi Nurhasyim who said "My message for Australians: don't come to places like that ever again... I'm sure that my colleagues will bomb it again." Amrozi was executed over the bombings.
Al Zawahiri's posting contained footage of other Bali bombers and radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir. The US has a US$25 million reward for the capture of Egyptian born al-Zawahiri.
The attacks come after another video was posted on the internet claiming that four extremist Islamic groups in the southern Philippines had merged, creating a new potent threat to the region.Leaders of the groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State. – with Reuters, AAP
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