Scenes from a Dark Day in Jakarta
2016.01.14
As daylight turned to darkness in Indonesia on Thursday, vigils for the victims of an Islamic State (IS)-claimed attack in Jakarta sprang up throughout the nation.
Two people were killed and 24 were injured earlier in the day, when a group of suspected militants launched a suicide attack at a shopping area in downtown Jakarta. The assailants targeted a Starbucks coffee, reportedly detonating bombs and shooting at people.
Police shot and killed three of the assailants, but two of them died in explosions, according to news reports.
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo later examined the scene located about 3 km (1.86 miles) from the Presidential Palace.
“Our nation and our people should not be afraid; we will not be defeated by these acts of terror. I hope the public stays calm,” Jokowi told reporters.
IS sent out a cryptic warning before the attack occurred, National Police spokesman Anton Charliyan said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Thursday’s attack in Indonesia – the world’s most populous Muslim nation – was the first one there linked to the Middle East-based extremist group.