Jakarta attacks 'highlight worldwide nature of Islamist threat', says Iman Chairman

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'Jakarta attacks: Bombs and gunfire rock Indonesian capital'

BBC

A series of explosions has 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.

So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attacks, a news agency linked to the militant group said.

Separately, Indonesian police said they suspected a local group allied to IS was to blame.

Condemning the attacks, Iman Chairman Ribal Al-Assad expressed concern that the violence seen in Jakarta may become more common in other South-East Asian countries.

“These vicious attacks highlight the world-wide nature of the Islamist threat,” he said.

“Islamic extremism is not confined to Syria or Iraq, nor a specialty of Islamic State; hundreds of different groups across the globe, in countries including the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, share the objective of creating a worldwide caliphate under the rule of Sharia law.

“The international community must not forget that brand names like Islamic State should not be the ultimate target for international action. The ultimate target for the international community should be the perverted and poisonous ideology that all of the different extremist groups share.

“This means placing much greater pressure on those states that fund, support, or harbour Islamic extremists and the clerics and broadcasters who promote their ideology. It is time that the international community puts aside its differences and comes together to fight the cancer of Islamic extremism. As I have pointed out on many occasions, this scourge has become the greatest threat to global security.

“At this time my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. I hope that Indonesian security forces will continue their good work and the good people of Indonesia will be spared attacks like this in the future.”