Jakarta – Indonesia's Muslim leaders have called for a united stand against terrorism, which they said was tarnishing the nation's image.

Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation's largest Muslim organisation, urged the authorities to find those responsible for Thursday's blast which killed nine people and 'punish them severely'.

Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiah which is believed to have been behind the attack, also condemned the blast in a message from his cell, according to the Indo Pos daily newspaper. "An action like that is not a way to fight to uphold the Islamic syariah," he said in a telephone text message.

Muhammadiyah, the nation's second-biggest Muslim organisation, called the bombing "savage and inhuman" and the Prosperous Justice Party said the blast had "shattered" Indonesia's international image.

The hardline Hizbut Tahrir group joined the chorus of condemnation and the Christian-orientated Prosperous Peace Party said the blast showed that the terrorist threat persisted in Indonesia.