JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 17 -- Eight people were killed Friday in two separate explosions at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in central Jakarta, just over a week after the world's most populous majority-Muslim nation saw a peaceful presidential election.

The Jakarta police said that "low explosive" devices were used to set off the blasts. The first was heard at the Marriott about 7:45 a.m. local time (8:45 p.m. Thursday in Washington). The Marriott also was targeted in 2003 by the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, when a bomb set off by the Islamic terrorists killed 11.

The second explosion happened shortly afterwards at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, less than 110 yards away. That bomb was believed to have gone off in the Airlangga restaurant.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president of Indonesia, likened the perpetrators to "death spreaders," or Dracula.

Speaking from the presidential palace in a live television address, the angry and visibly shaken president said the attackers were irresponsible and inhumane. While their identities remained unknown, the president said, the government will "use the full extent of the law" to bring to justice "those who did it, those who helped them, and the masterminds."

Yudhoyono -- who was reelected July 8 by a wide margin and is set to begin a second five-year term -- said it was too early to say whether the bombing was linked to Jemaah Islamiyah.

At a news conference hours after the blast, Indonesia's national police chief said the explosions were the work of two suicide bombers, and possibly other accomplices, wire services reported.

The Associated Press reported that some of those involved in the plot apparently had rented a room on the 18th floor of the Marriott, where additional, undetonated explosives were found after the blasts.

"There were several perpetrators," Jakarta police chief Maj. Gen. Wahyonohe told the AP. "They were disguised as guests and stayed in room 1808."

Indonesian police officials said that among the eight people killed in the twin attacks was Timothy Mackay, the head of Indonesia operations for Holcim, a global supplier of cement, aggregates, concrete and asphalt. Mackay was among a group of business executives who were attending a networking meeting at the Marriott -- some of them said they had been caught up in the 2003 bombing at the same hotel.

Sixty-one people were injured.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, en route to Asia as part of a scheduled trip, said the bombings reflect the viciousness of violent extremists are a reminder that the threat of terrorism remains very real. We have no higher priority than confronting this threat along with other countries that share our commitment to a more peaceful and prosperous future."

"Our sympathies go out to the victims of these tragic attacks, their families, and the people and government of Indonesia," Clinton said in a statement. "We condemn these senseless acts of violence and stand ready to provide assistance if the Indonesian government requests us to do so. The State Department is working to help American citizens injured in the blasts."

In Jakarta, there was concern on Friday that areas popular with foreigners had once again become targets for terrorists. The country witnessed four major terrorist attacks between 2002 and 2005 -- the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings; the August 2003 bombing of the Marriott in Jakarta and the September 2004 bombing outside the Australian embassy.

Kevin Rudd, the Australian prime minister, condemned Friday's bombings. "Any terrorist attack is an act of cowardice. It is an act of murder. . . . It is a barbaric act that violates the fundamental principles of human decency," he said.

Australians heading to Indonesia were told to reconsider their travel plans because of "a very high threat of terrorist attack." The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australians should specifically avoid going to the area in downtown Jakarta near the two hotels.

Manchester United, the English soccer team, had been scheduled to check into the Ritz-Carlton on Saturday ahead of an exhibition match in Jakarta on Monday that was part of an ongoing Asian tour. The visit was canceled on Friday.

"We are deeply disappointed at not being able to visit Indonesia and thank the Indonesian FA [football association] and our fans for their support," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts go to all those affected by the blasts."

Speaking at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, United manager Alex Ferguson said, "It was a bit of a shock. We got the news just as we landed."

Club captain Gary Neville echoed his manager's sentiments. "We're all disappointed not to get the opportunity to go to Indonesia," he said, according to an account of the news conference provided on the team's Web site. "One of the great things about playing for this club is the chance you get to play in different countries and meet our fans from around the world. The players are as disappointed as everybody else."

Alex Asmasubrata, a witness outside the Marriott, said he saw one westerner, who was not moving, being carried outside the hotel. He also saw three others who were badly injured. He said that the inside of the hotel was still smoky and there were four other westerners being taken out from the back who were "barely moving."

A hotel guest, Don Hanna of U.S.-based Fortress Investment Group, said he felt the building sway at the time of the explosion.

"As I came out of the elevator in the lobby, there were drops of blood on the floor. Some staff appeared injured, they had blood on the shirts. People were nervous but I saw no panic," he said.

News of the blasts led Indonesian stocks to open more than 2 percent lower. But they later recovered somewhat, and the JSX Composite was down 1.2 percent by midday.

Staff writer Debbi Wilgoren in Washington contributed to this report.

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