PrintJuly 17, 2009
At least 9 dead in Jakarta suicide bomb blasts
Two separate suicide bomb attacks hit luxuary hotels in Jakarta today according to the BBC
At least nine people have been killed, including two suspected suicide bombers, in two blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.It may be the work of Jemaah Islamiah , an al-Qaeda connected group that has been active in Indonesia for more than a decade as well as extending its reach into the Philipines, Malaysia, and other south Asian countries.One explosion hit the Ritz-Carlton, ripping off its facade, and the other the JW Marriott. As many as 50 people were hurt, including many foreigners.
At least one attacker was a guest at the JW Marriott, police said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has visited the scene and condemned "the cruel and inhuman attack".
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts. One foreign national has been confirmed dead - a New Zealander.
JI has also been implicated in a series of bombings and killings in southern Indonesia directed against Christians.
About 400 US troops are advising the Philipine army about how to fight JI and other terror groups. And in Indonesia, there was actually a truce between JI and the government as many western nations poured relief into the country following the horrible Tsunami at Christmas in 2006.
Obviously, that truce is in the past.
