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At least 8 dead as bombs hit Jakarta

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Massive bomb explosions hit the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, with reports of at least eight people dead, including four suspected attackers.

“Four people died, one police officer and three civilians,” AFP quoted national police spokesman Anton Charliyan as saying Thursday.

Separately, police said four suspected attackers had been killed, including two of them who had blown themselves up, and four others arrested.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo called the blasts “acts of terror,” saying he had ordered a huntdown and capture of the perpetrators and those in their network.

According to an official Jakarta police Twitter account, one explosion went off outside a shopping center called the Sarinah mall.

Gunshots were heard as police approached after the mid-morning explosion in the area that also has many luxury hotels, embassies and offices.

Charliyan said the gunfire had stopped but the attackers were still on the run, and police feared there would be more gunshots.

The shooting was reportedly happening outside a Starbucks opposite the shopping center.

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