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Regions on full alert after deadly Jakarta attack
On the lookout: A police officer stands guard on an armored vehicle on Jl
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On the lookout: A police officer stands guard on an armored vehicle on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, Thursday. Located on a busy street in downtown Jakarta, the Starbucks cafe in the background was apparently targeted by terrorists in Thursdayâs attack.(JP/Seto Wardhana) (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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span class="inline inline-center">On the lookout: A police officer stands guard on an armored vehicle on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, Thursday. Located on a busy street in downtown Jakarta, the Starbucks cafe in the background was apparently targeted by terrorists in Thursday's attack.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
In response to the deadly terrorist attack that struck Jakarta on Thursday, local police and military institutions in the country's major cities have stepped up security precautions at various high-profile locations including consulates, malls and five-star hotels, in order to prevent similar such incidents from occurring elsewhere in Indonesia.
In Denpasar, Bali, police and military personnel intensified patrols in popular tourist districts such as Kuta, Seminyak and Nusa Dua, soon after the attack happened in Jakarta. Dozens of armed police were also seen securing the Australian consulate-general on Jl. Tantular, Denpasar, and the US consulate-general on Jl. Hayam Wuruk.
Bali Police are also tightly monitoring the main entrances to the popular resort island.
Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto emphasized that Bali was still safe and that there were not yet any intelligence reports of a possible terrorist attack targeting the island.
'As of now, [Bali] is still safe. But we have to remain alert,' Sugeng said.
In October 2002, a series of coordinated attacks in Kuta orchestrated by the regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah led to the death of more than 200 people, including 88 Australians.
Three years later, another series of bomb attacks hit the island, killing at least 20 people and injuring 100 others.
In Medan, North Sumatra, foreign consulate offices, such as the US and Chinese consulate offices, and a number of shopping malls and hotels in the city also received heightened security measures.
Security personnel, for example, were seen combing through the JW Marriot hotel on Jl. S. Parman, Medan.
North Sumatra Police's vital object security directorate head Sr. Comr. Heri Subiansauri said the combing procedure, aimed at searching for suspicious objects, was not only carried out at the hotel but also at other vital objects in the city.
'We conducted the combings in response to the bomb attack in Jakarta. We have also posted personnel at vital points across the city. We have expanded security at several places,' Heri said.
The Medan Police's headquarters and police posts on the streets of Medan also received expanded security from fully-armed police personnel.
Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Mardiaz Kusin Dwihananto said the police had deployed personnel to secure vital facilities prone to disturbances.
Security in Bandung, West Java, and Pekanbaru, Riau, has also been intensified.
Pekanbaru Police chief Sr. Comr. Aries Syarief Hidayat said fully-geared two-wheeled patrol teams had been deployed to various corners of the city. Every entrance to the city was also tightly guarded to prevent intruders.
'Police have continued to coordinate with the Indonesian Military [TNI] to prevent terror attacks. Intelligence officers have also been spread to gather as much information as possible from the public,' he said.
The Roesmin Nurjadin Airbase in Pekanbaru also tightened security by closing access from Jl. Inpres and from the direction of the Sultan Syarif Kasim Airport II International in Pekanbaru.
West Java Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Hartono said the police had also placed personnel on standby to secure every vital object situated across the province.
'We're on high alert,' Pudjo said.
Separately, the Central Sulawesi Police declined to comment on the possible involvement of the Poso-based terrorist group led by Santoso in the deadly attack on Jakarta.
The group, which has become the most-feared group in the region after orchestrating the murder of a number of local residents, is believed to be affiliated with the radical Islamic State (IS) movement.
'I only take care of Poso. I don't want to comment on the attack in Jakarta. Please ask the National Police,' Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Idham Azis told the Post by phone.
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Arya Dipa in Bandung and Rizal Harahap in Pekanbaru contributed to the article.
