Terrorism7 killed in ISIS suicide bombings, shootings in Indonesian capital
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Jakarta earlier this morning (Thursday). Indonesian authorities say that the five ISIS attackers were helped by the local Jemaah Islamiyah group. Jemaah Islamiyah was behind a 2009 explosions at two Jakarta hotels that killed seven people, and the 2002 bombings at a Bali nightclub which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists. Jemaah Islamiyah is similar to ISIS in that it aims to establish an Islamic “caliphate” in south-east Asian countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
ISIL flag // Source: commons.wikimedia.org
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Jakarta earlier this morning (Thursday).
“Islamic State fighters carried out an armed attack this morning targeting foreign nationals and the security forces charged with protecting them in the Indonesian capital,” Aamaaq news agency quoted the Islamist group to say. DW reports that seven people, including five suspected attackers, were killed and seventeen wounded in a combined suicide bombings and shootings attack.
The militants targeted the Sarinah shopping center, on Thamrin Street, where a McDonalds and other multinational brands operate. A Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Burger King are located across the road next to the Djakarta Theater XXI cinema, and the five-star Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta hotel is the next building along and United Nations and government offices are also nearby.
Jakarta’s police chief, Tito Karnavian, told reporters that ISIS militants were helped by an Indonesian Islamist militant, Bahrun Naim, who fought for the group in Syria.
“They imitated the terror actions in Paris…they are likely from the (Islamic State) group,” Genral Anton Charliyan of the Indonesian military said.
George Brandis, Australia’s Attorney-General, said last month that the Islamic State had “ambitions to elevate its presence and level of activity in Indonesia,” either directly or through affiliates.
“ISIS has a declared intention to establish caliphates beyond the Middle East, provincial caliphates in effect,” he added. “It has identified Indonesia as a location of its ambitions.”
DW notes that previous terror attacks in Indonesia have been carried out by the Jemaah Islamiyah group, which was linked to al-Qaeda.
Jemaah Islamiyah militants were behind a 2009 explosions at two Jakarta hotels that killed seven people, and the 2002 bombings at a Bali nightclub which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists.
Jemaah Islamiyah is similar to ISIS in that it aims to establish an Islamic “caliphate” in south-east Asian countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
