When the area was finally secured a few hours later, bodies were sprawled on sidewalks.
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But police believe that they were linked to ISIS, and the Islamic State-affiliated Aamaq News Agency reported people from that terror group were behind the bloodshed.
“The governments in this region must work together to prevent the creation of a satellite of the caliphate because if such a satellite is declared, the threat in Southeast Asia will grow”, said regional terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna.
At this moment, a manhunt is under way for other suspects, but Charliyan said police can not say which group carried out the attack.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group said it also circulated among pro-Islamic State groups on the message app Telegram.
Police earlier said the blasts were caused by grenades, not bombs.
He said that of the two civilians killed, one was a foreigner.
He says he has ordered the national police chief and the minister for political and security affairs to hunt down and capture the perpetrators and those in their networks.
A police officer and a Canadian man were killed in the attack, which – with the attackers – took the death toll to seven.
The ministry could not confirm reports by Indonesian security officials that one Dutch national had been killed in the series of explosions and gunfire that tore through parts of Jakarta leaving at least seven dead.
As well as the suicide bombers, four explosive devices were detonated during the attacks … one in Starbucks, after the suicide bombing, and during a shootout between police and the assailants.
“This is a senseless act of violence and terrorism that many of us can not process”. “But thank God it didn’t happen”, Charilyan said.
Militants staged suicide bombings and opened fire in Indonesia’s capital on Thursday in attacks described by authorities as attempts by Islamic State followers to stage a Paris-style rampage through the teeming streets of Jakarta.
News reports say IS had issued a warning to the Indonesian police that “there will be a concert in Indonesia” and the country will be in the worldwide news.
It’s not clear if any more attackers are at large outside the Sarinah area.
While suspicion is likely to fall on IS or its allies, police said they did not know who was responsible and President Joko Widodo urged the public not to speculate on who was behind the attack.
Media said six bombs went off and a Reuters witness saw three dead people and a gunfight going on.
“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.
“This act is clearly aimed at disturbing public order and spreading terror among people”, Jokowi said in statement on television.
“The state, nation and people should not be afraid of, and lose to, such terror acts”, he said.
In recent weeks, Indonesian police have been on high alert, while military operations focus on hitting the East Indonesian Mujahadeen, helmed by Indonesia’s most-wanted terrorist, Santoso, who has pledged support for ISIS.
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It began around 10:55 a.m. Thursday (10:55 p.m. ET Wednesday) with a suicide explosion inside a Starbucks on Thamrin Street, an entertainment and shopping district with various Western chain restaurants and stores. The explosion occurred after about 25 anti-terror squad police stormed the cafe.
