Indonesian capital rocked by bombs and gunfire

A series of bomb blasts have rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, with gun battles on the streets.

The blasts were centred around Thamrin Street, a major shopping and business district close to foreign embassies and the United Nations offices.

Police say the situation is now under control, with five suspected attackers among at least seven people killed.

It is not yet clear what group was behind the assault, which President Joko Widodo called an “act of terror”.

“We all are grieving for the fallen victims of this incident, but we also condemn the act that has disturbed the security and peace and spread terror among our people,” he said.

Images from Jakarta have shown several bodies lying on the road outside a cafe, as well as seriously injured people being carried away.

Details remain unclear, but at least one of the blasts hit a Starbucks cafe outside the Sarinah shopping centre and next to a police security post.

Eyewitnesses say several attackers entered the cafe and detonated explosives.

Armed police, snipers and armoured vehicles were deployed on the streets of the capital.

Gunfire broke out after police arrived at the cafe – there were several further explosions and reports of police chasing suspects. Sporadic gunfire was reported for several hours afterwards.

BBC Indonesian reporter, Jerome Wirawan said police cordoned off the area around the shopping centre.

A UN official, Jeremy Douglas, explained in an interview that he was about 150m (450ft) away from one of the first blasts near the UN’s building.

“Then we ran into the building. We heard a third explosion. We got up to our office on the tenth floor and we heard a fourth, a fifth and a sixth.”