The Islamic State is claiming responsibility for a militant attack in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta that left two dead and 19 more wounded on Thursday in the world’s most populous Muslim country.
According to authorities, coordinated attacks on a police station and a Starbucks coffee shop occurred when well-armed militants opened fire late Thursday morning. Explosives were also detonated.
Five of the attackers were killed, and a manhunt is underway for additional suspects.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in postings on Twitter accounts and the Islamic State-affiliated Aamaq News Agency reported people from the terror group were behind the attack.
Police spokesman Anton Charliyan said the attackers were believed to have been targeting foreigners and police. Charliyan also added that one foreign national is among those dead and another is among those injured.
“A Dutch national has been severely injured and is now undergoing surgery at a hospital in Jakarta,” Angele Samura, the security adviser for the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, told CNN.
It began when an attacker blew himself at a Starbucks, according to Charliyan. Then, two gunmen outside the coffee shop simultaneously opened fire on people on the street.
Heavily armed police soon arrived on the scene, firing on the attackers. The attackers responded with grenades and shots back.
A video posted on Twitter appeared to catch the explosion outside the Starbucks on video.
“You couldn’t get much more central in Jakarta if you tried. It’s basically right smack dab in the central business area,” said Jeremy Douglas, who works in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime located in the area. “If you wanted to make an impact, and get visibility for what you’re trying to do, this is the place to do it.”
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta has issued a warning to all U.S. citizens in wake of the attack, advising them to shelter in place and monitor local and international media until the situation clears up.
In the first warning, Americans were advised to stay away from the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel and Sarinah Plaza on Jalan Sudirman Thamrin.
The second message stated “media report that there may be explosions in other parts of city and that the original gunmen may have escaped.”
No other information has been immediately available.
“We should not be afraid and defeated by acts of terror like this,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Thursday. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world.
Indonesians have been posting #KamiTidakTakut or “We are not afraid” on social media after the attacks.
