Wahid lays blame for Jakarta bomb

Ambassador Leonides Caday was rushed to hospital

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has blamed Muslim insurgents for an attack on the Philippines ambassador in Jakarta.

But Islamic guerrillas deny they planted the car bomb which injured Ambassador Leonides Caday.

This, I think, is related to the problems in south Philippines

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid

Two people were killed in the blast - a security guard and a woman at a nearby kiosk who was hit by shrapnel.

President Wahid said he believed the attack was linked to the instability in the southern Philippines, where several Muslim separatist groups operate.

Bomb squad officers examine the wrecked car

"This, I think, is related to the problems in south Philippines, maybe related to the kidnapping in Jolo or the problem of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)," he said.

But Philippines authorities say they do not have enough information to blame anybody and they could not be certain that the ambassador was the intended target.

And the MILF has denied that its guerrillas carried out the attack.

Blast scene

The ambassador and his driver, who was badly hurt, were moved to hospital.

The blast wrecked the ambassador's car, and television pictures showed him bleeding as he was lifted out of the vehicle by passers-by.

Although the ambassador suffered severe injuries, his condition is said to be stable.

The blast, which took place at about 1225 (0525 GMT), damaged the front of the ambassador's house, scattering debris all around.

A neighbouring residence, belonging to the Bulgarian ambassador, and the office of Indonesia's national election commission were also said to be damaged.

One witness, Mohammad Mali Amin, told the Associated Press that he saw the Mercedes sedan explode in flames.

Reports say office workers ran from the scene of the attack.

Police have sealed off the area and are examining the wreckage.

The ambassador's house, located on Imam Bonjol street in the city's Menteng area, is near government offices and the residences of senior government officials and other diplomats.

The ambassador's house was badly damaged

There has so far been no indication of the motive behind the attack.

The speaker of the Indonesian consultative assembly, Amien Reis, denounced the bombing as a terrorist attack and expressed dismay that such a thing could happen in the capital in daylight.

Philippine Vice-President Gloria Arroyo has also condemned the attack, calling it an act of terrorism.

A foreign ministry spokesman said that Filipino diplomats around the world have been place on a "high state of alert for similar incidents".