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)