Credit: TMC Polda Metro Jaya
BOMBS and gunfire rang out in central Jakarta today as militants suspected to be affiliated with Islamic State (IS) attacked the Indonesian capital, leaving at least six dead, some reports indicate.
Local media reports that the first explosion went off at 10.50 outside a Starbucks located at the Skyline building adjacent to Sarinah department store on Jalan M.H. Thamrin. Another blast went off at a police post located on the street junction.
The area is frequented by tourists and local office workers alike. A UN building, embassies and the central bank also reside nearby.
Helicopters, armored vehicles and police snipers, among hundreds of other security personnel, were deployed.
Credit: TMC Polda Metro Jaya
Gunfights between the assailants and police also took place and authorities have sealed off the surroundings, leaving Jakarta’s usually crowded streets eerily empty. Police and bomb squads were seen earlier entering the Skyline building to flush out the attackers.
“We have previously received a threat from IS that Indonesia will be the spotlight,” said police spokesman Anton Charliyan according to Reuters.
Further media reports indicate police have taken down all of the attackers and that one of the dead was a Canadian national and another a police officer.
