Indonesia's police chief linked the deadly bombing of a Jakarta hotel to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network and warned of fresh attacks by the al Qaeda-connected group.

General Dai Bachtiar said Tuesday's car bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel, which killed up to 14 people and injured 150, bore several similarities to the Bali attack last October which killed 202 people.

"From investigations we have done so far there are some common elements with the Bali bomb blast," Bachtiar told hoteliers and entertainment venue operators at a meeting called Wednesday to advise them on upgrading security.

In each case, he said, a mixture of low and high explosives was used and the chassis number of the vehicle was erased. The number on the locally-made Kijang van which exploded outside the Marriott had been recovered with forensic help. In each case the vehicle was sold to someone who left no address with the vendor.

Bachtiar said police had prepared a sketch of a head found at the scene of the blast but did not confirm whether the hotel blast, like those in Bali, was a suicide bombing. He said kerosene was found in the Kijang van outside the Marriott. "Their aim is to have a big explosion and create a big fire. With a big fire they hope to bury all evidence."

Imam Samudra and other detained Bali bomb suspects "do not want to admit they are JI but from the documents we know they are JI members," Bachtiar said.

The police chief said documents seized from a group of nine JI suspects arrested separately this month show "they will do terror activities again in a number of cities including Jakarta." He said a list of targets had been recovered.

"From our investigations other members [still at large] have the capacity to launch terror attacks. This is because their friends are facing justice and are sure to get tough punishment. They want to free their friends and show they still exist."

The first verdict against a Bali suspect – a man called Amrozi – is due Thursday. He could face the death sentence if convicted.

National detective chief Erwin Mappaseng said separately the Marriott bomb was detonated by mobile phone – like at least one of the Bali blasts. "This modus operandi is similar to the Bali bombing and the bombing at the house of the Philippine ambassador," Mappaseng said.

In Sydney Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Jakarta bombing had all the hallmarks of JI. Downer warned of possible new attacks as early as Thursday.

Investigators say JI staged the attack on two Bali nightclubs and the US consulate to avenge oppression of Muslims worldwide. Of the three separate attacks on the resort island last October 12, at least one was triggered by mobile phone. The blast at the ambassador's residence in Jakarta in August 2000, which is also blamed on JI, killed two people and injured 21.

"It [the hotel bomb] was detonated by a handphone," Mappaseng said. "We found the cellphone." He said the car bomb which ripped through the US-managed Marriott – a favourite venue for US embassy functions – contained TNT, RDX, HMX (a high melting point explosive) and black powder. Police from Australia, Interpol, Malaysia and Singapore are helping in the investigation, he said.

The attack on the hotel tore through the lobby and downstairs restaurant, shattering many windows in the modern 33-storey building.

There was confusion Wednesday over the exact death toll. The Indonesian Red Cross put the toll at 14 dead, while the health ministry said only 10 people died. Australia said it had been informed as many as 16 were killed. One foreigner, a Dutch executive, has been confirmed among the dead.

The attack on a well-guarded venue in the heart of Jakarta is a huge blow to the government, which has spent the nine months since Bali trying to repair the country's image. Vice President Hamzah Haz said the attack showed the country's intelligence and security capability was still too weak.

In an attempt to address criticism and shore up confidence in the already-fragile economy, the government said it would launch a wide-ranging review of security measures at public and private buildings.

The bombing drew global condemnation. The United States said it was "deplorable", the EU said there was "no justification for such a brutal outrage" while Singapore condemned the blast as a "dastardly act of terror".

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would officially offer police assistance in the investigation, although Australian policeman were already at the site of Tuesday's blast.