Friday, July 17, 2009

Jakarta Bombs: United cancel trip

Manchester United have cancelled Saturday's match against an Indonesia Super League XI in Jakarta following today's bomb attacks.

The blasts affected two hotels, one of which, the Ritz-Carlton, was the hotel United were supposed to be staying in tomorrow night after leaving the first game of their four-match tour in Kuala Lumpur.

United now have the option to remain in Malaysia for a few extra days or travel up to Seoul for what should have been the third leg of their trip next Friday.

However, there might also be reservations among the players - many of whom have young families - about being so far away from home and pressure might be applied to go straight back to the UK.

United chief executive David Gill is on the tour and he will no doubt be left to make the final decision, whatever that may be.

Details of the attacks, which were carried out at the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, were still sketchy this morning.

Witnesses at the scene told Indonesian Metro TV that the injured, including Indonesians and foreigners, were seen being taken away in ambulances.

It was reported that in addition to the eight dead, 10 people received treatment.

Although there have been no terrorist problems in the country for a number of years and presidential elections passed off peacefully recently, the Marriott Hotel was badly damaged by a car bomb attack in 2003 that killed 12 people.

That coincided with a period when Islamist militants from the Jemaah Islamiyah organisation were blamed for numerous attacks, including bombings on the island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people. Many militants have since been arrested.

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