Terrorists Attack Jakarta, Indonesia; At Least 7 Dead

Posted by African Examiner Europe, Latest Headlines, World News Thursday, January 14th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Terrorists laid siege to the heart of Indonesia’s capital on Thursday with a four-hour gun and bomb assault that left seven people dead and 10 others wounded, officials said.

Several attackers waged armed battles with police around a busy shopping and movie theater complex in downtown Jakarta and there were reports of at least six explosions before the siege was ended.

There was no direct claim of responsibility, but the ISIS-linked Amaq News Agency said the terror group was behind the assault. That corresponded with what Indonesian intelligence officials have suggested in the immediate aftermath.

As the brazen daytime attack unfolded, U.S. citizens were warned in an emergency message from the Embassy to “shelter in place” until all the gunmen had been captured or killed.

Anton Charliyan, spokesman for the national police, said on local television that five attackers and two civilians — one Indonesia and one Canadian — had died. Five police officers and five civilians also were wounded, he added, saying that police had recovered five bombs in the area of the attacks.

Police earlier had said four attackers and three civilians had died, though confused and conflicting death tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack. A separate statement from police posted on Facebook said four terrorists also had been arrested.

The first attack took place at around 10:45 a.m. local time near a police post and a Starbucks, according to Jakarta police spokesman Col. Muhammad Iqbal. He said one police officer was badly injured in that incident.

“I was riding a motorbike when suddenly the explosion went off at the police post,” eyewitness Eliaz Warre told The Associated Press. “I saw people running away and two people lying on the ground bleeding. I also saw two people on a motorbike with a back pack and they are the guys who threw the bomb.”

NBC news