Al-Qaeda Indonesia Claimed to Responsible for the Jakarta Hotel Bombing

On 17th July 2009, a hotel bombing in Jakarta that involving famous U.S franchised hotel, J.W. Marriott and Ritz- Carlton had killed nine persons and injured almost 50 persons. The explosion were set by the two suicide bombers that acted as the guest in the hotel.



On 30th July, an unknown blog that known as Al-Qaeda Indonesia were claimed that they are responsible for the attacks.



The message in Indonesian and Arabic was signed by `Abu Muawwidz Nur Din bin Muhammad Top’ and praises two `holy warrior brothers’ who blew themselves up at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in central Jakarta.

The statement said the attacks were a `martyrdom operation for jihad’, intended as `retribution for the deeds of America and its agents against our Muslim brothers and holy warriors in all corners of the world’.

The statement described the victims of the attack as `henchmen of America’ and `thieves and robbers of things of value to the Muslims of this country.

Police have said the attacks bear the hallmarks of Malaysian Islamist Noordin Mohammed Top, who heads a violent splinter faction of the radical regional network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Noordin is suspected of masterminding suicide bombings in Indonesia in 2003, 2004 and 2005 which killed a total of 42 people and injured scores more.

Indonesian police spokesman Sulistyo Ishak said, investigators were still examining if the claim of responsibility was genuine or a hoax.

``We will confirm with the investigation team. It’s for them to investigate if it’s true that this (attack) was carried out by this group,’’ Ishak told AFP.

Terrorism analyst Sidney Jones, of the International Crisis Group, said she could not say whether the claim was authentic but noted that blogs were `often used by some of the jihadi groups’.

``I just don’t know. It’s interesting this time round, if it is him, he’s only claiming to be Al-Qaeda for Indonesia and not the Malay Archipelago,’ she said.

Noordin has previously said he leads a group called Al-Qaeda for the Malay Archipelago.

JI and its allies envision much of Southeast Asia under a caliphate, or Islamic government. - AFP