Jakarta, Indonesia (BBN)-A series of bomb blasts has rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, with gun battles on the streets.
The blasts were centred around Thamrin Street, a major shopping and business district close to foreign embassies and the United Nations offices.
Police say the situation is now under control, with five suspected attackers among at least seven people killed.
It is not yet clear which group was behind the assault, which President Joko Widodo called an “act of terror”.
“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.
Images from Jakarta have shown several bodies lying on the road outside a cafe, as well as seriously injured people being carried away.
Details remain unclear, but at least one of the blasts hit a Starbucks cafe outside the Sarinah shopping centre and next to a police security post.
Eyewitnesses say several attackers entered the cafe and detonated explosives.
Armed police, snipers and armoured vehicles were deployed on the streets of the capital.
Gunfire broke out after police arrived at the cafe – there were several further explosions and reports of police chasing suspects. Sporadic gunfire was reported for several hours afterwards.
BBC Indonesian reporter, Jerome Wirawan said police cordoned off the area around the shopping centre.
A UN official, Jeremy Douglas, told the BBC he was about 150m (450ft) away from one of the first blasts near the UN’s building.
“Then we ran into the building. We heard a third explosion. We got up to our office on the tenth floor and we heard a fourth, a fifth and a sixth.”
‘UNDER CONTROL’
A few hours later, police said four attackers had been killed, then shortly after revised the number to five, including a foreigner.
National Police Deputy Chief Commander Gen Budi Gunawan said two had been killed in a shootout outside a theatre and two others blew themselves up at the police post in front of Starbucks.
Police spokesman Col Muhammad Iqbal said the situation was “under control”, with no suspects hiding inside the shopping centre.
Police had initially said there could be up to 14 assailants. Three attackers have been arrested, reports say.
Indonesia has been attacked by Islamist militant groups in the past and was on high alert over the new year period after threats from the so-called Islamic State (IS).
National police spokesman Anton Charliyan said while it was not yet clear who carried out the attack, IS had warned of a “concert in Indonesia” which would be international news.
He said the attackers had tried to imitate the co-ordinated attacks on Paris and that it was “likely” they were connected to IS, Associated Press reported.
But chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan said it was “too early” to talk about IS involvement.
“Five terrorists are dead and we don’t know if there are any more. We are investigating,” he said.
BBN/SK/AD
