City tightens security amid fears of terrorist attack

City tightens security amid fears of terrorist attack

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Shopping malls, hotels and office buildings introduced on
Thursday more thorough security checks on vehicles entering their
compounds amid renewed fears of further terrorist attacks in the
capital.

The Jakarta Post observed security personnel carefully
checking incoming cars at the Shangri-La and Sari Pan Pacific
hotels, Plaza Senayan, Plaza Indonesia, the Artha Graha building
and the Jakarta Stock Exchange on Thursday.

Scores of public order officers and policemen were also
present at intersections and T-junctions, such as the
intersection near Sarinah department store, Hotel Indonesia
traffic circle and the Tanah Abang overpass.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Thursday
that the police had detected increased activity of terror
suspects in the capital.

Firman said Malaysian terror suspects Azahari and Noordin M.
Top along with new recruits could detonate a bomb at any time.

Azahari and Noordin are believed to be the masterminds behind
a spate of bombings in the country since 2000, including the
deadly Bali bombings in 2002, the Marriott Hotel bombing in 2003
and the bombing outside the Australian Embassy in 2004.

Firman said the police had passed on the information to
several embassies, including the U.S., British, Australian and
Japanese embassies, to follow up with heightened security
measures.

"We are increasing the number of security personnel at
embassies and their facilities," Firman said.

Police personnel armed with rifles, bulletproof vests and
helmets also guarded the U.S. Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka
Selatan and the Japanese Embassy on Jl. MH Thamrin.

Separately, Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo called on
residents to help monitor security in the city.

"Neighborhood unit heads are responsible for checking any new
people in their neighborhoods," Fauzi said at City Hall.

Learning from a string of bomb attacks in the capital over the
last five years, the administration has repeatedly warned
neighborhood unit heads to help monitor rented homes, which are
often used as safe houses for terror suspects to plan and prepare
attacks.