Flyovers not yet a security priority: Police

Flyovers not yet a security priority: Police

JAKARTA (JP): Despite two blasts under flyovers in the capital
in the past few days, the city police have not put flyovers at
the top of their security priority list.

City police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Adang Rochana said
the police would continue to secure crowded areas like malls and
department stores, buildings, traditional markets and business
centers.

"No, no, not yet. We have deployed our patrol unit officers,
officers on motorcycles and intelligence and detective personnel
to crowded areas. Unless the flyovers are suffering from
excessive crowdedness, they do not come at the top of the
priority list," Adang told The Jakarta Post on Monday evening.

A hand grenade, thrown by somebody either on foot or in a
vehicle, exploded on Sunday evening under the Mampang Prapatan
flyover in South Jakarta, just four days after a hand grenade
exploded under the Slipi flyover in West Jakarta.

In the Slipi flyover incident, one man died of injuries he
sustained in the blast.

The fear among some lower-ranking city police officers is that
a blast could occur under the Taman Ria Senayan flyover in
Senayan, Central Jakarta, located about 500 meters from the
People's Consultative Assembly.

The Assembly is slated to convene a special session on Aug. 1,
which will likely lead to the removal of President Abdurrahman
Wahid.

"We fear that other than the Taman Ria Senayan flyover ...
other targets could include the Semanggi flyover, which is only a
stone's throw away from the city police headquarters," a first
brigadier from the Jakarta Police detectives unit told the Post
on Monday.

The blast on Sunday took place about 300 meters from the
Mampang Prapatan police station.

"We need to pay special attention to flyovers and toll roads,
like the Cawang toll road and the Tanjung Priok toll road, in the
coming days ahead of the special session," the officer, who
requested anonymity, said.

Meanwhile, Adang told reporters on Monday that police were
investigating the possibility that the people involved in both
blasts were from the same organization, considering that in both
incidents Korean-made hand grenades were used.

"The perpetrators could have possibly used the same vehicle
for the blasts. We are checking into every possibility. We have
questioned about 21 witnesses about the Mampang Prapatan blast."

The incident on Sunday left at least five people injured. They
were identified as Nur Lutfiah, who suffered injuries to her hip;
Wiwik Sriyani, who suffered injuries to her arm; Anita, who was
injured on her back; and Budi and Banjar, both of whom suffered
light injuries to their necks.

In the Wednesday blast at the Slipi flyover, which occurred at
8:30 p.m., police believe the explosive device was thrown from a
truck crossing the flyover.

This, however, was not the case in Sunday's blast, which
occurred at 6:50 p.m.

"We believe someone passing through the traffic light under
the Mampang Prapatan flyover threw the explosive device and drove
off. Nobody saw anyone," South Jakarta Police deputy chief Adj.
Sr. Comr. F.J.J. Mirah said.

Separately on Monday, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said he would
do everything in his power to guarantee the security of
expatriates here.

"People, especially those from the international community,
should entrust their security to us. So far, we have been able to
handle security," Sutiyoso said at City Hall.

He claimed that he had yet to receive a complaint from foreign
embassies about threats to their embassies, nor had any embassies
requested special protection due to the current security
situation in the capital.

"The current security situation is still normal," Sutiyoso
said. (ylt/jun)