The attackers also were killed, either by their suicide vests or by police.
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Media reports say ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attacks on its Telegram channel, and the group’s supporters also circulated a claim of responsibility for the attack on Twitter late Thursday.
The ISIS link poses a grave challenge to security force in Indonesia, which until now was thought to have relatively few sympathizers an no active cells capable of planning and carrying out such an attack. Further details about the threat weren’t immediately available.
One major worry is that Indonesians fighting in Syria and Iraq will return home, having gained training and combat experience.
Harits Abu Ulya, an expert on militant Islam and a former commander in the militant group Hizbuh Tahrir, told CNN that he mentored his “little brother” Naim and stayed in contact with him long after the younger man went to Syria. At least 17 people were also wounded in the attacks. “At the scene of the attack, which played out between a Starbucks cafe and a traffic police booth, hundreds of citizens rallied on Friday, chanting “Kami Tidak Takut” (We are not afraid”).
Karnavian has said the attackers were part of a group led by Bahrum Naim, an Indonesian militant who is now reported to be in Syria. Outside, two gunmen opened fire, killing a Canadian. Four foreigners, including a Dutch national who works for the United Nations Environment Programme were among those injured in the blast. “Hopefully, the group’s [other] members will be captured soon”.
The attackers responded by firing back and tossing two grenades at the officers, according to Charliyan.
The brazenness of the Jakarta assault, which had echoes of attacks such as those in Paris in November, suggested a new brand of militancy in a country where extremists typically launch low-level strikes on police.
Police then combed the building housing the Starbucks and another nearby building where they discovered six homemade bombs.
“Islamic State fighters carried out an armed attack this morning targeting foreign nationals and the security forces charged with protecting them in the Indonesian capital”, Aamaaq news agency, which is allied to the group, said on its Telegram channel. “He hopes the perpetrators of today’s attacks will be swiftly brought to justice”.
Afif was sentenced to seven years in jail for participating in the camp.
“His vision is to unite all ISIS supporting elements in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines”, Jakarta police chief Tito Karnavian said, using another acronym for IS.
The so-called Islamic State (IS) has said it carried out the attack.
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Indonesia has suffered militant attacks in the past, but has been relatively successful in curbing home-grown Islamist extremism after a spate of attacks in the last decade.
