Confusion ensued after the Jakarta administration denied a claim made by police in Gambir, Central Jakarta, that City Hall had received a bomb threat on Wednesday.

 “As of now, we have not received any bomb threat in the City Hall area either in written form or by phone call,” said Jakarta General Affairs Bureau head Agustino Dharmawan on Wednesday afternoon. “We actually got the information from the media.”

Earlier in the morning, Gambir Police head Adj. Sr. Comr. Ida Ketut Grahananta Krisna Rendra said that the police had received a report from an internal security officer within the administration.

The officer, who had not been identified, reported that the administration had received a bomb threat via a phone call, Ketut said. As a result of the report personnel from Jakarta Police's Gegana bomb disposal squad were deployed to comb every corner of the City Hall and other buildings in its vicinity.

“We are beefing up our security because of the political escalation ahead of the 2017 gubernatorial election. It’s not because of the bomb threat,” Agustino said.

The police’s statement about the bomb threat at City Hall came as the country faces a growing threat of terror attacks instigated by local militants. (ary)

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