Suspected grenade blast near Indonesia’s presidential palace injures two military officers
- The military personnel were exercising in the National Monument park when the blast happened; both were taken to hospital and were conscious
- Jakarta’s military chief said investigations were under way but the incident was ‘not so extraordinary’, in a bid to reassure the public
However, President Joko Widodo was not at the palace at the time, a presidential spokesman said.
The explosion, at 7.15am local time on the north side of the park, was thought to have been caused by a smoke grenade, Jakarta police chief Gatot Eddy Pramono told a televised news conference.
“While jogging, the two found a smoke grenade,” he said. Soon after they took the grenade, “it exploded, injuring one of the soldiers on his right and left arms, while the other suffered injuries on his thigh”.
Jakarta military chief Eko Margiyono said the men were taken to hospital and were conscious.
“A smoke grenade was found and we’re looking into why it was there,” Margiyono said, seeking to reassure the public by describing the incident “as not so extraordinary”.