Washington, Aug 09: Terrorists behind this week's deadly Marriott Hotel blast in Jakarta, Indonesia, may be plotting more attacks targeting Americans, according to the state department. "The US government believes extremist elements may be planning additional attacks targeting US interests in Indonesia, particularly us government officials and facilities," the department said in a travel warning published yesterday.

US citizens should postpone all nonessential travel to Indonesia, the department said.
Tuesday's suicide bombing at the hotel, which killed 10 people and injured nearly 150, has been linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah organization, a group believed to have ties to al-Qaida. Jemaah Islamiyah is also accused of carrying out the twin bombings last October on the Indonesian island of Bali, which killed nearly 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

"The terrorist attacks in Jakarta and Bali, which took place in areas with large numbers of foreign tourists, clearly indicates that a security threat extends to private American citizens," the travel warning said.
The department warned that terrorists may seek out "soft" targets for future attacks, including hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, transportation systems and schools.

Bureau Report