Indonesian police hunt terror suspects after Jakarta attacks

Indonesia


Indonesia has remained on high alert following the assault on a central shopping area in the capital. Police said they had made arrests and found links to the "Islamic State" militant group.


A day after the terrorist attack that left seven people dead - including the attackers themselves - Indonesian authorities are still on high alert amid fears of another such incident.

The raid on a busy Starbucks and nearby police post left the country shaken, as heavily armed security personnel engaged with gunmen in the streets of downtown Jakarta. Shortly after the standoff, the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attacks.

On Friday, a government spokesperson confirmed that a black IS flag had been found in the home of one of the attackers.

Fear of IS influence grows

Jakarta police chief Tito Karnavian said authorities were searching for more suspects. He pointed to a group led by Bahrun Naim, a militant with links to IS, as most likely to be responsible for the violence.

President Joko Widodo took to Twitter to call for solidarity in the wake of the attacks. "There is no place for terrorism in Indonesia. All citizens of the world must unite to fight it," he wrote.