Jakarta likely target of Cimanggis bomb: Sutiyoso

Damar Harsanto and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The explosion in Cimanggis, Depok, to the south of Jakarta, coming seven months after the JW Marriott Hotel bombing in South Jakarta, has worried Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, who has called on the Jakarta Police and residents to beef up security measures in the neighborhood.

"The blast took place just on the outskirts of the capital. Depok is a buffer region for Jakarta and it's very likely that the capital was the real target of the (planned) bombing," Sutiyoso told reporters on Tuesday at City Hall.

"(The blast) is a wake-up call that terrorists are still around us," he added.

Sutiyoso feared that any bomb attacks in Jakarta would cause chaos for the capital and the country as the general election campaign is in full gear.

The Aug. 5 Marriott bomb claimed 12 lives and injured 147 others -- 10 months after the Oct. 12, 2002 Bali bombings that killed at least 202 people, mostly foreigners -- and sparked fear among Jakartans, prompting police to tighten security in public places.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara admitted that his officers had failed to detect the group's activities in Cimanggis, although its members had been living there for the last eight months.

"The police cannot monitor possible bomb threats alone; locals should also be aware of strangers in their neighborhood," he said.

Makbul did not respond when asked why police intelligence had not anticipated the incident.

The city police have so far arrested 10 suspects for the bomb- making activity and will charge them with Article 9 of Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism. The article on illegal possession of explosives carries a maximum death penalty.

The suspects have been identified as Oman, Ferdiansyah, Syarif Hidayat, Agus Kusnianto, Kamaluddin, Wasis, Candra Pasma, Syamsu M. Arif, Inggrid and a man identified only as WD.

Makbul said the investigation into the suspects have yet to identify the group that aimed to disrupt the upcoming elections.

"We have yet to identify the network or the source of their funds," he said. "We'll keep hunting other members of the group suspected of being involved in bomb-making training activities."

An explosion took place on Sunday at around 10:30 a.m. at a rented house on Jl. Bakti ABRI, Sukamaju Baru, Cimanggis. No fatalities were reported in the blast, which caused only minor damage to the roof of the house.

A house in Kampung Kebayuran, Tapos, Cimanggis, was found to have been used as an assembly site for a bomb that rocked Graha Cijantung Mall, East Jakarta, in July 2002. The police claimed the blast was committed by five Acehnese connected to the Free Aceh Movement.