Two suspected suicide bombers have blown themselves up at a busy bus terminal in Jakarta, killing themselves and three police officers.
Five civilians and another five police officers were also injured in the attack, just after 9:00pm (local time) yesterday.
National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said the blasts took place minutes apart.
“Tonight, to Indonesian citizens and all of us who are here at the scene, I express very deep concern,” he said.
TV networks showed people helping a victim lying on the ground and three policemen carrying another victim away from the scene.
Police may have been the target, with extra officers in the area to guard a torch rally to mark the beginning of the Islamic holy month Ramadan.
Police did not immediately reveal a motive but likened the attack to the events in Manchester and said it was linked to global terror.
“As you all know that there has been global incidents in Manchester during Ariana Grande’s show, there was an explosion there,” Mr Wasisto said.
“Then we also heard that in our neighbouring country, the Philippines, there was an attack from ISIS in Malawi city.
“Thus we’ve actually been prepared — but we didn’t know when and where it was going to happen.
“In my opinion, this incident is related to global attacks and related to some groups that have attacked several places.”
Authorities in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country have been increasingly worried about a resurgence in radicalism, driven in part by a new generation of militants inspired by Islamic State.
There has been a series of low-level attacks linked to Islamic State since January 2016, when four militants mounted a gun and bomb assault in the heart of Jakarta.
Eight people were killed in that attack, including the militants.
More recent attacks have also been linked to the group and targeted police officers, including in Solo in Java, but they have largely failed.
Source: www.abc.net.au
