Bomb blast kills 9 near Australian embassy: Big terror strike in Jakarta
JAKARTA, Sept 9: A car bomb exploded outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Thursday, killing at least nine people and injuring nearly 170 a month before Australia - a key US ally in Iraq - votes in general elections.
Police said the blast, which punched windows out of tower blocks and mangled the embassy's security perimeter, bore hallmarks of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, blamed for a string of deadly attacks in Indonesia.
Glass showered down from office buildings as people fled, dragging wounded friends and colleagues behind them, shortly after the explosion. It shot a tall plume of smoke into the sky and left smouldering debris in the street.
National police chief Da'i Bachtiar said he suspected the attack was carried out by a top JI bomb maker, Malaysian Azahari Husin. He is being hunted for the 2002 Bali bombings and last year's attack on Jakarta's Marriott Hotel.
"Our suspicion is that it was by the same group, especially the bomb maker, Dr Azahari. This is what we can conclude from the modus operandi and our investigation," Mr Bachtiar said.
A total of 202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed in the October 2002 night club bombings on the resort island of Bali. The August 2003 car bombing of the Marriott Hotel left 12 dead.
Thursday's attack came two days before the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks and ahead of the September 20 presidential election in Indonesia and October 9 polls in Australia.
It followed fresh warnings from the United States and Australia that militants may strike again in Indonesia. There were scenes of chaos in the business and residential district of Kuningan as those caught in the force of the blast attempted to flee.
"It was like an earthquake, like thunder," said Budi Harianto, 30, who was wounded in the leg as he queued at the embassy to get a visa. The explosion at around 10:30 am (0830am PST) prompted the immediate evacuation of the embassy and caused a sharp drop of nearly four per cent on the Jakarta stock market, although prices later recovered.
Several vehicles in front of the embassy were blown apart by the explosion, which blasted a deep crater into the ground. President Megawati Sukarnoputri cut short a visit to a royal wedding in Brunei to return to Jakarta. Speaking on a tour of the blast site and a hospital she defended her government's efforts to tackle terrorism.
"We should continue to battle terrorism and this is something we have already done so far," she said, echoing international condemnation of the attack. Ms Megawati faces a challenge on Sept 20 from her former security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who made an earlier hospital visit.
Australian Foreign Minister Downer, who departed for Jakarta later Thursday, said the attack was a deliberate strike on Australian interests. "It is clearly a terrorist attack, it was outside the Australian embassy, you would have to conclude that it was directed towards Australia," he said.
Mr Downer, who said the fatality figure could be as high as 11, said it was still unclear whether the bombing was a suicide bombing like those on the Marriott and in Bali.
One security guard quoted by state media said he had seen a van draw up to the embassy moments before the explosion. Both Australia and the United States last week raised new warnings urging their citizens to avoid Western hotels in Jakarta. The US embassy here said it would keep staff home and operate on a restricted basis following the attack. -AFP
