The Jakarta Post, April 24, 2003
"Unsophisticated bom" explodes near UN building in Jakarta
JAKARTA (Agencies): A bomb exploded early Thursday in Central Jakarta close to
the United Nations office building but no one was hurt, Indonesian police confirmed.
"The bomb was 'not too sophisticated' but was designed to create fear among the
public," national police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar was quoted as saying by DPA here.
The bomb exploded in an area behind the United Nations headquarters on Jalan
Thamrin, left a 30-centimeter (one foot) crater.
Jakarta police chief Inspector General Makbul Padmanegara said the explosion was
caused by a low-explosive device. Forensics experts are examining the remains of the
device.
The explosion slightly damaged a bridge over a river behind the UN mission. The
target was unclear.
Asked if the attack had targeted the UN office, Padmanegara said: "It's not in the
premises of the UN."
"We don't even know if the device was aimed at our building," a UN security official
told AP. "But the bomb squad checked our perimeter and gave us the green light to
open. So we are operating as usual today," he added.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.N. was the intended target of the blast -
although the building is regularly the scene of protests of various kinds.
Bachtiar told reporters: "Usually there is a connection with the location. This is a
public place which didn't have a lot of people in it."
AFP reported authorities took at least 11 people into custody for questioning and
talked to witnesses who saw the blast. No group claimed responsible for the
explosion, the latest explosion to rock Indonesia.
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