Daily Times

JAKARTA: Gunfire and explosions left seven dead in the Indonesian capital on Thursday, as the police said the attack was over and no more perpetrators were at large.

“At the moment the situation is under control,” Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said. Indonesian police claimed to have arrested four suspected militants believed to have been involved in the gun and bomb assault in the centre of the capital. Indonesian network TVOne said at least three explosions occurred in the Cikni, Silpi and Kuningan neighbourhoods, near the Pakistani and Turkish embassies. According to the official Jakarta police Twitter account, one explosion went off in front of a shopping centre called the Sarinah mall, on a main city avenue.

A witness claimed to have seen three suicide bombers explode themselves in a Starbucks cafe in the downtown Jakarta area, after which he said two gunmen attacked a police post nearby. The area is home to many luxury hotels, and offices and embassies, including the French. A total of at least six blasts has been counted. National police spokesman Anton Charliyan said the explosion near a police post in the area was not a suicide attack. “This is not a suicide bomb, based on witness account at the police post it was something that was thrown, whether it was a grenade or a bomb we still haven’t been able to confirm. Nobody has been arrested,” Charliyan said.

He said at least one attacker ? maybe two ? fled afterwards, using a motorbike. Police had earlier said the explosions were caused by bombs. The first explosion appeared to have triggered a gun-battle between the attackers and anti-terror police squads, and gunfire could be heard more than one hour later. Jakarta police spokesman Col Muhammad Iqbal said seven people, including four attackers, have been killed in the attacks. He said police have recovered the bodies of the attackers, but it is not clear if more remain at large. However, national police spokesman Anton Charliyan told AFP: “Four people died, one police officer and three civilians.”

Helicopters were circling the area, which had been cordoned off. Officers at the scene of the explosions in the Sarinah mall area told AFP reporters to “get back” because there “is a sniper” on the roof of a building. “There has been a lull in the shooting but someone is on the roof of the building and police are aiming their guns at him,” the Reuters photographer said. The national police spokesman warned people to stay away, saying police fear there could be more bombs. “For now the gunfire has stopped but they are still on the run, we are afraid there will be more gunshots,” Anton Charliyan said.