IS attacks will lead to its own demise: Kerry

LONDON - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday condemned the Islamic State-linked attacks in Jakarta, saying the group was merely inviting "its own destruction".

"There is nothing in any act of terror that offers anything but death," Kerry told journalists in London following a meeting with Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubair.

The US politician stressed that terror attacks would not "intimidate nation-states from protecting their citizens and continuing to provide real opportunity, education, jobs, possibilities of a future," and only strengthened resolve to defeat the group.

IS "have proven that they offer nothing, no alternative but their own destruction," he said.

"If that's the choice they leave us, we're going to do what's necessary," he added.

Five extremists launched Thursday's assault in the heart of the Indonesian capital, apparently copying the Paris attacks as they detonated explosives and shot at people in a district packed with malls, embassies and United Nations offices.