The Indonesian national news agency,
ANTARA, reported that the first two explosions occurred at 6:50 p.m. local time, near a Jimbaran food court and the third blast at 7:00 p.m. in Kuta Town Square. The two major blasts are thought to have struck a crowded main square at central Kuta, and the other in a cafe on Jimbaran beach, near the Four Seasons Hotel, areas which are generally popular with Western tourists. At this time, it is not clear how many explosions were involved; however, 4 blasts have been reported.
The bombings occurred just two days before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and 11 days before the third anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombing.
In the latest reports, at least 36 people have been killed and 103 injured.
more below
Most of the casualties are sent to the Sanglah hospital, and are mostly treated for injuries caused by broken glass. There are currently no formal reports from the relevant authorities regarding the number of casualties.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has condemned the blasts as a "criminal act" and has called for an urgent meeting with Indonesian security officials. He will be visiting the tourist resort island, but it is still unclear at this moment about when the President will arrive at the island.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo, State Intelligence Agency Head Syamsir Siregar and Police Chief General Sutanto have been instructed by the Indonesian President to leave for Bali on the evening of 1 October 2005.
Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla told the BBC that the government is uncertain of the group responsible for these attacks.
Australian Opposition spokesman for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd has called the attacks "revolting beyond description".
Prior warnings
Indonesian authorities were expecting such an event, after the Indonesian President warned of more bombings within the country, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs had issued warnings two days before the event.
Police Major General Ansyaad Mbai, a top Indonesian anti-terrorism official, told the Associated Press that the bombings "were clearly the work of terrorists".
The attacks "bear the hallmarks" of the active terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah, an organisation linked to Al-Qaeda, which has been blamed for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, the 2003 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta and the 2004 Australian embassy bombing. Islamist terrorist groups are often noted for their repeated choice of site for bombings. The group that struck the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, had also attacked the same location in 1993.
Update [2005-10-1 18:16:3 by Lestatdelc]: Changed titled since there was an earlier diary on this when it first broke, though it has long since disappeared from the diary list.