Six killed, tens injured in explosions in Jakarta`s hotels

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Two Explosions in Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotels in Mega Kuningan area, Jakarta, early Friday, killed at least six people and injured tens of others.

"Up to now, six people were killed, and tens of others were injured, but the number of the victims might change as identification process is still going on," Senior Commissioner Chysnanda, a spokesman of the Jakarta police, said here on Friday.

Policemen have already arrived at the scenes of the explosions and the victims have been rushed to the MMC Hospital at Kuningan and the Jakarta Hotel, Sudirman, Central Jakarta .

Meanwhile, Alex, an aye witness, said he saw four foreigners were seriously injured in the explosions.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel was supposed to accommodate footballers of the Manchester United (MU) of Britain, who are expected to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday (July 18).

The explosions in the two hotels at Kuningan area, were herd twice at around 7.50 am and 7.55 am local time.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS visited the scenes of the explosions.

The Marriott Hotel was bombed on August 5, 2003, killing 12 people, including a Dutch national, and injuring 147 others.

The Marriot bombing was believed to be masterminded by Azhari Husin and Noordin M Top, both Malaysian nationals.

Azhari was killed in a police raid in East Java in November 2005, and Noordin M Top is still at large.

Azhari and his fellow Noordin Mohammad Top, a terror coordinator of the Al-Qaeda linked in Southeast Asia of Jemaah Islamiyah militant network, are believed as the masterminds of a series of major terrorist acts in Indonesia, including the Bali bombings in 2002, JW Marriot hotel explosions in Jakarta in 2003, a deadly blast in Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004, and bombings in Bali in October 2005 that killed more than 220 people.(*)

Sumber : antaranews