"At least nine people have been killed in a series of explosions on the Indonesian resort island of
Bali. Many others were reported to have been injured in the blasts at Kuta beach - the area most popular with Western tourists - and at Jimbaran beach." (
BBC)
So far they think there are three explosions. The first two explosions happened at around 7:20 p.m. local time at the Nyoman Cafe in Jimbaran, while the third blast hit the Raja Bar and Restaurant in Kuta Town Square at 7:42 p.m.
This attack comes closed behind the third anniversary of 2002 Bali bombing (October 12, 2002)
Yahoo has
a series of pictures of the attacks.
22 people died so far and 50 injured.
update: now the reports says there are 6 coordinated blasts instead 3.
update: 32 are reported dead.
fukkin a.
These coordinated attacks have all the mark of a
Jemaah Islamiyah operation, an Al-Qaeda offshot operating in South East Asia, the same group that did the 2002 Bali bombing and 2003 Marriott hotel bombing in Jakarta.
Only a couple days ago, Gareth Evans of
International Crisis Group stated that '"Jemaah Islamiah itself has been significantly decimated in terms of its effective operation in Indonesia".
I guess not.
These blasts are likely to be backpack bombs that can easily be transported using motorbikes and carried inside the restaurants and mall. The bombs either left behind unattended or exploded by suicide bombers.
There's a strong possibility the atackers were customers in these two restaurants. Unattended bags under customers' table is not suspicious. Suicide bombers have time to coordinate their attack to the last minute if they have table in the restaurants.
The
6 3 blasts happened in three location;
they need 2 bombs in every location to increase their casualty results (there are limited amount of explosives you can fit a backpack; and you can see the result from a minimal structural damage from the photographs); They pack those bombs with nails and other type of sharpnels to maim and kill their targets.
We will know in coming days which method of attack were employed but I think it will be inside the variances I outlined above.
One thing for sure, the Bali economy and tourism again will suffer tremendously after these bombings.
"Maj. Gen. Ansyaad Mbai, one of Indonesia?s top anti-terrorism officials,
said the three attackers went into the restaurants on wearing explosive
vests.
The remains of their bodies were found at the scenes, he said."I have
the seen them. All that is left is their head and feet," he told The
Associated Press.
"By the evidence we can conclude the bombers were carrying
the explosives around the waists." (msnbc)
Further Update:
The latest report from NYTimes concurs with my early analysis about backpack hosted bombs
"Mr. Pastika presented a video, taken by a visiting family, that showed a man with a backpack walking into Raja's and then the giant flash of an explosion. Each of the three bombs, he said, held as much as 22 pounds of dynamite, and they might have been carried in backpacks or in suicide vests. It was not known if they were detonated remotely or by triggers set off by the suicide bombers." (
NYTimes)
I don't think it is sucide vest. 22 pounds is about 10 kilograms and it's not easy to hide that amount of explosives under a vest especially considering Bali is a tropical island. You will sweat like a pig trying to conceal that amount of explosives under thick jacket.
Rambo IV is scheduled for filming next spring
