Several explosions went off and gunfire broke out in the centre of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday (January 14) and police said they suspected a suicide bomber was responsible for at least one the blasts.
Local media said six bombs went off and a witness saw three dead people and a gunfight going on. One blast was in a Starbucks cafe and security forces were later seen entering the building. 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.
One blast was in a Starbucks cafe and security forces were later seen entering the building. 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.
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.
According to the official Jakarta police Twitter account, one explosion went off in front of a shopping centre called the Sarinah mall, on the main city avenue. Reports also suggest that a police post outside the mall was blown up. Police snipers were deployed, according to media. A U.N. building near the scene was in lock-down with no one allowed in or out, a witness said. Some other buildings in the area were evacuated.
A separate explosion was heard in the western suburb of Palmerah, according to a domestic media tweet, but there were no other details immediately available.
