Indonesian authorities warned last month of terrorist threat

While no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, they have revived fears that home-grown extremists bloodied on the battlefields of the Middle East with the Islamic State group could have brought their jihad home. Nineteen people, including another foreigner, were injured, Charliyan said.

‏Many tweets with the #KamiTidakTakut hashtag called for solidarity and for Indonesians to fight back those responsible for the terror attacks.

But the European-based Soufan Group says that of the 500-700 Indonesians who travelled overseas to join the self-proclaimed caliphate of the IS, scores have since returned.

The #KamiTidakTakut hashtag is now trending on Twitter, along with #PrayForJakarta. Police also found another five unexploded bombs and two pistols in the area, Charliyan said.

At about the same time two other suicide bombers attacked a nearby traffic police booth, killing themselves and an Indonesian man. Karnavian said that minutes later a group of policemen was attacked by the remaining two gunmen, using homemade bombs.

Among the victims was at least one foreign national, authorities said.

After the explosions at Starbucks, a gun battle broke out between the attackers and anti-terror police squads, and gunfire could be heard more than an hour and a half later.

“The attacks have caused a lot of panic and the area has been locked down by police”.

“The state, nation and people should not be afraid of, and lose to, such terror acts”, Indonesian President condemns the attacks.

He says security has been increased at public places such as shopping malls and tourists spots, “while extra precautionary actions will be implemented in border areas to prevent possible infiltration by terrorist elements”. “Indonesia has faced a rising threat of this kind of terrorist attack over the past year”, said Hugo Brennan, an Asia specialist at risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft.

Before that, bombings at nightclubs on the resort island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

“The situation is under control”, the Indonesian National Police said in a statement.

Black armoured cars screeched to a halt in front of the Starbucks and sniper teams were deployed near Sarinah’s, Jakarta’s oldest department store, across the street from the United Nations building.

Some 150,000 police officers and soldiers were deployed during New Year’s eve to guard churches, airports and other public places. Earlier reports said the man had died in the attack.

Indonesia has been attacked by Islamist militant groups in the past and was on high alert over the new year period after threats from the so-called Islamic State (IS). “Chaos & we’re going into lock-down”, he wrote.

Jakarta police spokesman Col. Muhammad Iqbal said seven people including four attackers had been killed in the brazen attacks in the downtown capital.

One of these was thought to have detonated in a Starbucks cafe outside a shopping centre and next to a police security post. It was the first major attack in Jakarta since the 2009 simultaneous attacks on the J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels, which killed seven.

It is still unknown how many attackers were involved and how many sites were hit.

Police officers and a Dutch man were reported to be among those hurt in the attack and subsequent gunfight, though it was not clear if they were killed or wounded. The police in Indonesia were quick to blame Islamic State, but in the years after September 11, 2001, they also blamed al-Qaeda as a scapegoat for many locally spawned plots.

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world but it has a secular government.