Capital warned of possible terrorist attacks

Indah Setiawati and Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 07/05/2008 12:20 PM  |  Headlines

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo has warned residents in the capital of possible terrorist attacks following the arrests of 10 terror suspects in South Sumatra.

He also asked residents to help authorities by sharing information of any suspicious activities in their neighborhoods.

"All citizens should stay alert because the arrests made in Palembang (South Sumatra's capital) were based on information from residents there. They must strengthen their security through routine neighborhood security system activities," he said Friday at City Hall.

"Hotel security guards must watch over their work environment and residents watch over their neighbors, while a landlord should know well who stays in his or her property because bombs can be made in houses or in a hotel room."

Early discovery, he said, was the most effective form of prevention.

A senior police officer at the National Police on Thursday told Koran Tempo newspaper that the Palembang suspects were planning to "attack places where there are many foreigners".

Jakarta is home to many embassies and expatriates, and has fallen victim to terrorist bombings targeting places frequented by foreigners.

Chief executive officer of upscale mall Senayan City in South Jakarta, Handaka Santoso, said the mall management would increase the number of patrolling officers to meet any terrorist threat.

"We'll check every mall visitor more carefully in addition to our regular security checks," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Public relations officer of Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta, Anastasia Damastuti, said the mall management was always alert to threats. "This is not the first time we've heard of the possibility of bombings."

Hotel Mulia communications manager Adeza Hamzah said the hotel in Senayan, Central Jakarta, would stick to the standards of maximum security it always applied.

Communications director of Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta, Ratna Sjamsiar Idris, refused to comment on her hotel's security pertaining to terrorism prevention.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.