Jakarta attacks: Isis could be behind bombings with new 'soft target strategy'

There is a high possibility that coordinated attacks that left at least six people dead in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta could be linked to the Islamic State terror group (Isis), a security intelligence expert told IBTimes UK.

Although no-one has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombings, suspicions are likely to fall on IS (Daesh) after nine suspected Islamists linked to the group were arrested in December. National police spokesman Anton Charliyan told local radio that there was no proof yet of who had carried out the attacks, but said that terror group Islamic State had issued a cryptic warning ahead of the blasts, 9News reported.

"The warning said there will be a concert in Indonesia and it will be international news," he said.

"The nature of the Jakarta attacks is similar to what Isis has been doing recently, such as in Paris," David Otto, CEO of UK-based global security provider TGS Intelligence Consultants, said. "Isis is now using the so-called 'broken biscuit approach', where they attack soft targets – such as cafes, restaurants and shopping malls – places you would never believe they would attack."

According to Otto, world leaders should create a comprehensive global approach to defeat terrorism. "Leaders cannot stop people from going to cinemas and cafes," he said. "We need a global cooperation instead of pockets of countries trying to be heroes in defeating Isis when attacks like this happens in a country of high priority so to speak.

"We attempt to treat the disease and ignore the root cause of the disease itself," Otto concluded.

The Jakarta bombings come one month after Australia's Attorney General George Brandis warned that IS (Daesh) was seeking to establish a "distant caliphate" in Indonesia, which is the world's most populous Muslim country.

During a speech delivered on Metro TV station, Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the attacks, which he said was an act of terror: "Our nation and our people should not be afraid, we will not be defeated by these acts of terror, I hope the public stay calm," he said. "We all are grieving for the fallen victims of this incident, but we also condemn the act that has disturbed the security and peace and spread terror among our people."