UPDATE @ 04.26 PM — President Joko Widodo is reportedly visiting the blasts site accompanied by the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Luhut Pandjaitan, and the Governor of Jakarta Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. After visiting the site, the President will hold a limited meeting at the State Palace to discuss security issues. The Police previously announced that the situation in Sarinah, Thamrin was under control. Jakarta Police Spokesman Senior Commissioner M. Iqbal told the press that the Police believe there were 5 perpetrators dead—three killed and two died by suicide-bomb.
UPDATE @ 01.44 PM — President Joko Widodo have spoken to the press and urged the nation to remain calm and insisted that Indonesia must not succumb to fear. The President gave the assurance that everything was under control. The Sarinah complex and the Cakrawala building remain in lockdown. Jakarta netizens have taken to social media platforms to report on the condition of their neighborhood in a move to counter fake reports of blasts in areas other than Sarinah.
UPDATE @ 12.22 AM — Police are now saying the “explosions” around the Sarinah complex, Central Jakarta were actually grenade blasts. They’re still attempting to clear the Cakrawala building, and the Jakarta Theatre cinema located in the vicinity. The Jakarta Police Chief have confirmed that the incident is contained to the Thamrin road and Sarinah complex.
UPDATE @ 12.01 AM — Police Spokesman Anton Charliyan told the press that ISIS issued a warning in December that they’d hold a “concert” in Jakarta. The Spokesman also confirmed reports that terrorists are holed up inside the Jakarta Theatre, a cinema complex located behind the Starbucks outlet in the Cakrawala building in Sarinah. Authorities have locked down the Sarinah and the Cakrawala building complex.
UPDATE @ 11.49 AM — a video showing what appear to be a relatively small explosion in front of Starbucks Sarinah has emerged on social media site Twitter. Across from Starbucks, on the Thamrin road were police officers exchanging gun fire. Details on who were they targeting remains unclear. An there’s been other unconfirmed reports of explosion happening a few kilometers away from Sarinah in Palmerah. Then again, details are not yet available. Stay tuned.
