Bombs minutes apart ripped through two luxury hotels in Jakarta.
the blasts at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton
hotels, located side-by-side in an upscale business district in the
capital, blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the
street, kicking up a thick plume of smoke. Facades of both hotels were
reduced to twisted metal.
The Marriott, which was attacked in 2003 in a bombing blamed on
Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah,
was hit first, followed by the blast at the Ritz two minutes later. The
attacks came just two weeks after presidential vote expected to
re-elect incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who has been
credited with stabilizing a nation previously wracked by militancy.
Local media reported that two people were killed in another explosion
in a car north Jakarta later Friday. Officials confirmed a blast but
said it did not appear to be related.
English football club Manchester United have cancelled their tour match
in Jakarta after bomb explosions in the Indonesian capital
Bombs exploded at the Jakarta Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, which was to
host the Manchester United squad for four days from Saturday evening.
The team was scheduled to play Indonesia Super League XI in an
exhibition match in Jakarta Monday. The match was a part of Manchester
United summer tour. They will arrive in Kuala Lumpur late Friday night
to play a tour match against Malaysian XI at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.
After Jakarta, they were scheduled to fly to Seoul Wednesday before
concluding their four-stop trip in Hangzhou, China, next weekend. But
now with the cancellation of Jakarta trip the tour is set for big
changes.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Manchester United officials reviewed
the team's security situation and have decided to cancel the trip to
Jakarta as a result of the terrorist attacks.
"Following the explosions in Jakarta, one of which at the hotel the
team were due to stay in, and based on advice received, the directors
have informed the Indonesia FA that the club can not fulfil the fixture
in Jakarta on the 2009 Asian Tour," United said in a statement.
