Indonesian TV outlets are reporting that President Joko Widodo has arrived at the bomb site.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri issued an audio message on 13 January, 2016 addressed to Indonesians in particular and to Muslims in South East Asia more broadly urging them to attack the interests of the US and its allies on their land. 

It was titled "The sun of victory rises from Nusantara" - a reference to the Indonesian term for the archipelago. It is not clear if the message was linked to today's attacks in Jakarta. The message appeared to be in response to efforts by Islamic State to establish a presence in SEA and win recruits in that region.

Deputy police chief Budi Gunawan said they had received word in December that a group was planning to launch a "huge bomb concert" on New Year's Eve.

He added: "But because the Indonesian police had anticipated that threat by deploying tight security on New Year's Eve, the group launched this attack today."

With reports that the attacks have now ended, forensics teams will be able to survey the extent of the damage. So far we know that a police post and a Starbucks cafe were attacked, but with reports of at least six explosions, further damage is expected to be revealed.

Image source, AP

Image source, EPA

Image source, AFP

AP news agency is quoting Indonesian police as saying that the gunmen were imitating November's attacks on Paris, where co-ordinated suicide bomb and gun attacks by so-called Islamic State militants left 130 people dead.

The following hashtags are trending in Indonesia

#PrayForJakarta

#KamiTidakTakut (I am not afraid) 

#SafetyCheckJKT (Indonesians are using this to ask if loved ones are safe) 

Sarinah (The shopping mall at the centre of the blasts)

Police spokesman Anton Charliyan has given an update on the death toll, saying it is now seven - five attackers, and two civilians.

Among the dead attackers, three were shot dead in an exchange of gunfire with police in front of the Starbucks outlet, while two died when they drove their motorcycles into the police post at the intersection near Sarinah shopping centre and detonated suicide bombs.

Some Twitter users have begun posting images of Jakarta's National Monument in support of the Indonesian capital. These include a symbol of the monument adapted into a peace sign, similar to an icon used during the Paris attacks, and a black and white image accompanied by the caption #PrayforJakarta.

Deputy police chief Budi Gunawan has told reporters:

• Police believe that a group based in Solo, a city in central Java, was behind today's attack.

• The group is known to have supported so called Islamic State (also known as Isis) and had been in contact with IS in Syria for some time

His comments stand in contrast to what national intelligence chief Sutiyoso told Reuters news agency earlier, which was that it was "definitely terrorism but there are no indications yet that it's Isis related".

One eyewitness said he was riding his motorbike when he saw the explosion at the police post:

Netherlands' foreign ministry has confirmed that a Dutch man has been seriously wounded in the attacks and is undergoing surgery. Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the attack shows that "terrorism can hit everybody. Whether you are shopping in the heart of Paris, in a New York office or on vacation in Jakarta", the AP reports.

The Jakarta Globe says that "confusion abounds" over the exact number of attackers and victims. According to the paper, a Facebook post issued by the Indonesian police saying that there were seven attackers - three of whom had been shot dead and four “incapacitated and arrested” - contradicts earlier statements by the police on the number of attackers.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has urged the public to stay calm     

More images are coming in of showing the heavy security presence in central Jakarta. Here's a few of them:

Image source, AFP

Image source, EPA

Image source, AP

Image source, EPA

The Associated Press is quoting Indonesian police as saying the attack has ended and security forces are in control

The head of BBC Indonesia, Rebecca Henschke, says the Indonesian police appear to have been a target of this attack. She says the police have long been a target of Islamist extremist groups in Indonesia because of the nation's secularism.

Image source, AP

Indonesian National Police has posted a statement on their official Facebook page. It reads: "The situation is under control. There are 7 attackers, 3 dead, 4 captured."