Police officers stand guard outside a damaged Starbucks cafe after an attack in Jakarta, Indonesia Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016.
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Two other attackers were standing outside that Starbucks, and they seized two foreigners, a Dutch citizen and an Algerian citizen, before opening fire on people on the street and dragging the two people to a parking lot where they shot them. This led to a 15-minute gunfight, he said.
Global Affairs Canada hasn’t confirmed the report that a Canadian was killed in Thursday’s attack.
He said while Indonesia is generally a “very safe ” country, there is an ever-present background threat due to groups that are sympathetic to al Qaeda and ISIS.
“We’re of course going to be supporting the government in anything it needs from Canada through this hard time”.
“We advise British nationals in Jakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia to maintain vigilance and monitor FCO travel advice, local media and to follow the advice of local security authorities”.
A United Nations regional representative, Jeremy Douglas, said that he was getting out of his auto by the United Nations office when a “massive bomb” detonated.
An Associated Press reporter has heard an explosion from a cafe near the Starbucks that was attacked earlier.
“Five hundred metres away is the central bank building, you have multiple government buildings, major, major centre of government area”.
The attacks saw assailants set off explosions in a busy shopping area and wage gun battles with police.
Previous attacks were on the island of Java, typically involving shootings against police and low-capacity IEDs carried on backpacks by lone militants, Alifandi said. “They looked really professional judging by the way they fired”, the witness called Reza said.
Armoured personnel on the streets of Jakarta. “It was pretty insane”.
“We were watching it from upstairs… it was quite a scene”, he said.
A spokesman for Indonesia’s national police, Maj. “But thank God it didn’t happen”.
Attackers are reported to have attacked the coffee shop in front of the mall and a police post.
Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said that the situation was now under control.
“We all are grieving for the fallen victims of this incident, but we also condemn the act that has disturbed the security and peace and spread terror among our people”, he said.
“The state, the nation and the people should not be afraid of, and lose to, such terror acts”, he said.
Today’s attack prompted a security lockdown in central Jakarta and enhanced checks all over the crowded city of 10 million.
The Guardian reports that Risky Julianti, 25, a sales promoter at the Sarinah Mall, said she heard at least five more blasts and saw three people dead.
Indonesia has witnessed a number of violent acts by extremist groups, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.
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Three bodies were seen lying on the ground on a main road in the city after the explosion.
