Many foreigners among 9 killed, 50 wounded in Jakarta hotel bombings
The nine dead included two Australians, a New Zealander, An Singaporean and an Indonesian.
The coordinated attacks, which occurred five minutes apart, Friday, July 17, tore away the facade of the Ritz-Carlton and blew up a first-floor restaurant at the neighboring JW Marriott in the Indonesian capital. A parked car outside was later detonated by a suicide bomber.
Jakarta police said two of the suicide bombers were paying guests at the Marriott Hotel and smuggled in the explosives before detonating them in two restaurants on Friday, July 17. Police found an unexploded bomb and other explosives in a room at the Marriott hotel, which they said was the “control center” of the attacks. The nine dead included two suspected suicide bombers. Another 50 people were injured.
The Marriot was hit by terrorists before in 2003 when 9 people were killed, the year after the devastating Bali attack which left 202 dead. Both were claimed by al Qaeda’s offshoot Jemaa Islamiyeh which is also suspected of the latest outrage.
The Manchester United soccer team, due to arrive Saturday and booked into the Ritz-Carlton, called off their visit.