A security guard inspected the damage after an explosion at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta on Friday. Dita Alangkara/Associated PressIndonesia Bombings Signal Militants’ Resilience -- New York Times
JAKARTA, Indonesia — The nearly simultaneous suicide bomb attacks at two American hotels on Friday suggested that Islamic terrorist groups, though significantly weakened in Indonesia in recent years, still had the means to mount deadly assaults in one of the most heavily secured areas here in Indonesia’s capital.
Indonesian officials said it was too early to identify those behind the attacks at the hotels, the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, which killed eight people and wounded at least 50. But they appeared to be focusing on domestic militants, possibly individuals or splinter groups loosely tied to Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terrorist network linked to Al Qaeda.
The attacks were a blow to the Indonesian government, which had been credited with cracking down on Jemaah Islamiyah and for keeping Indonesia free of terrorist attacks since late 2005. The explosions took place nine days after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term, riding a wave of popularity for fighting corruption and restoring a measure of stability.
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More News On The Bombings In Jakarta
Bombing Suspects Spent Two Days at Hotel -- Wall Street Journal
Indonesia suspects fugitive terrorist in bombings -- AP
Malaysian extremist behind Indonesia attacks: official -- AFP
Marriott Attacks in Jakarta Probably Linked to Bali Bombers -- Bloomberg
Fugitive linked to Jakarta blasts -- BBC
Malaysian fugitive suspected in hotel bombs -- CNN
Investigators sift for clues from Indonesia bombs -- Reuters
Al-Qaeda Link Is Suspected in Jakarta Blasts -- Washington Post
Jemaah Islamiyah suspected in hotel blasts -- UPI
Attack Signals Rebound of Battered Terrorist Group -- Wall Street Journal
Jakarta blasts show Jemaah Islamiyah still a threat -- Washington Times
Indonesia blast survivor thought he was going to die -- Reuters
Jakarta terror blast caught on hotel surveillance video -- New York Daily News
Q+A:What will be the impact of Indonesia's hotel bomb attacks -- Reuters
Meet JI terror at the prison gate -- The Australian