JAKARTA: A series of explosions and gunfire on Thursday left nine dead, including five terrorists, in the Indonesian capital with police saying no more perpetrators were at large.
According to Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal, “At the moment the situation is under control.”
Indonesian police claimed to have arrested four suspected militants believed to have been involved in the gun and bomb assault in the centre of the capital.
Indonesian network TVOne said at least three explosions occurred in the Cikni, Silpi and Kuningan neighbourhoods, near the Pakistani and Turkish embassies.
According to the official Jakarta police Twitter account, one explosion went off in front of a shopping centre called the Sarinah mall, on a main city avenue.
A witness claimed to have seen three suicide bombers explode themselves in a Starbucks cafe in the downtown Jakarta area, after which he said two gunmen attacked a police post nearby.
The area is home to many luxury hotels, and offices and embassies, including the French.
A total of at least six blasts were counted.
National police spokesman Anton Charliyan said the explosion near a police post in the area was not a suicide attack.
“This is not a suicide bomb, based on witness account at the police post it was something that was thrown, whether it was a grenade or a bomb we still haven’t been able to confirm. Nobody has been arrested,” Charliyan said.
He said at least one attacker? maybe two? fled afterwards, using a motorbike.
Police had earlier said the explosions were caused by bombs.
The first explosion appeared to have triggered a gun-battle between the attackers and anti-terror police squads, and gunfire could be heard more than one hour later
Jakarta police spokesman Col Muhammad Iqbal said seven people including four attackers have been killed in the attacks. He said police have recovered the bodies of the attackers, but it is not clear if more remain at large.
However, national police spokesman Anton Charliyan told AFP: “Four people died, one police officer and three civilians.”
Helicopters also circled the area, which had been cordoned off.
Heavily armed police evacuated a badly injured man who was lying on the road bleeding heavily.
Police slowly approached the man and stretchered him into a vehicle, about 25 metres from the severely damaged Starbucks cafe, as shots rang out.
Graphic photographs from the scene showed the bloodied bodies of what appeared to be two men in civilian clothes lying by the side of a road next to the wrecked police post.
Another body, also apparently male, dressed all in black was pictured lying on his back in the centre of the street while another lay nearby.
‘Suicide bombers in Starbucks’
Starbucks says one customer sustained injuries from an explosion and was treated on the scene while all employees are confirmed to be safe.
The company says in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the senseless acts that have taken place in Jakarta today; our hearts are with the people of Indonesia.”
A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) employee Jeremy Douglas tweeted about the incident, saying “a massive bomb went off in front of our new Indonesia office” which is in the Sarinah mall vicinity.
