Dutch UN official critically injured in Jakarta terrorist attacks

Update, 11:15 a.m., 14 January 2016: A previous report indicated the Dutch UN official was killed in the attack. He was critically injured and taken to an area hospital. Seven people were killed, five terrorists and two civilians, one of which a foreigner. 19 people were injured. A Dutch United Nations official was critically injured in one of a number of terrorists attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday, NOS reports. At least six people were killed in the series of bombings and gunfire, according to local news agency Jakarta Globe. The Dutch embassy in the Indonesian capital "strongly recommends" that people avoid traveling. "When you are in an area where the explosions take place, you are strongly advised to avoid large crowds", the embassy said in a statement on its website. The first explosion was reported at 10:50 a.m., local Jakarta time in the car park of a Starbucks, followed by six more explosions and random gunfire over 10 minutes. One of the attacks happened at a police station. At least one police officer was killed. Witnesses told Jakarta Globe that he was killed by a gunman. According to the local news agency, the police sealed off the area and were engaged in sporadic firefights that lasted until around 12:36 p.m., local time. The police are still looking for suspected gunmen. It is unclear who is behind the attacks. According to Australia's ABC news, the attacks took place near a cluster of embassies and the United Nations offices. Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, chief editor of the Jakarta Post, said that the targeted area is quite popular. "It's less than one-and-a-half kilometers to the palace, it's basically where the center of government is", he said. "Five hundred meters away is the central bank building, you have multiple government buildings, major major center of the government area."

Scene just now in Jakarta. Police say still dangerous. pic.twitter.com/5apU9AfqyJ

— Samantha Hawley (@samanthahawley) January 14, 2016

Still tense in centre Jakarta. Police edgy. Can see three bodies. Terrible scene. Multiple blasts reported pic.twitter.com/3sz7sqeuGs

— Samantha Hawley (@samanthahawley) January 14, 2016

Jakarta is rocked by a series of explosions and gunfire in the city center https://t.co/VefL4RYsae pic.twitter.com/YemH3QQFZa

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 14, 2016