Police: Suspected grenade blast near Indonesia’s presidential palace

An explosion of a suspected smoke grenade on Tuesday at a park near Indonesia’s presidential palace injured at least two military personnel, Jakarta’s police chief said.

However, President Joko Widodo was not at the palace at the time, a presidential spokesman said.

It was not immediately clear if the blast was the result of a factional attack, but Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has suffered a recovery in homegrown militancy in recent years.

The explosion took place at 7:15 am 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.

It injured two military personnel who were there for exercise, Jakarta military chief Eko Margiyono said, adding that they were taken to hospital and were conscious.

Asked if the blast was the result of an attack, Pramono responded, “We haven’t concluded so, because we’re still investigating.”

Within three hours, authorities had reopened the park area where the blast took place, across the street from the headquarters of Indonesia’s home ministry.