Police up security after Palopo bombing

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

South Sulawesi Police have tightened security in the province since Sunday, in order to nab two suspected bombers responsible for a bomb blast that occurred in Sampoddo Indah Cafe the night before, which killed four people and injured three others.

The tight security checks on streets in Makassar municipality and Maros regency was also aimed at preventing similar incidents, said a police officer on Monday.

As of Monday, police personnel were seen doing extensive ID checks on the streets in the two areas, the nearest towns to where the bomb exploded. Sampoddo Indah Cafe in Palopo regency is located between Maros and Makassar.

Every car and motorcycle was stopped and all passengers were subject to a rigorous security check. Not only IDs, but personal belongings were also checked.

"The security check is aimed at checking whether people traveling from one area to another are bringing bombs or carrying sharp weapons," said First Insp. Ichsan Nur.

Besides examining the bomb material, the police were also conducting an extensive manhunt for two suspects in the case.

The investigators have made rough sketches of the two suspects that will be made public immediately.

Separately, Sr. Comr. Achmad Abdi, South Sulawesi Police chief of detectives, said that police investigators had so far questioned 31 people. "All the 31 people are still being questioned as witnesses," he said.

Meanwhile, Sr. Comr. Nurman Thahir, the spokesman for the South Sulawesi Police, said that the bomb detonated in the incident was a low explosive bomb.

The confirmation was given based on the evidence collected from the blast site inside the cafe.

"The evidence collected includes shrapnel from the bomb, rubber, a battery and other electronic devices," he said.

Nurman further said that the police investigators, however, could not conclude yet whether the bomb in Sampoddo Indah Cafe bore any similarity to the bomb detonated in a McDonald's fast- food restaurant and car showroom NV Hadji Kalla in Makassar on Nov. 5 in 2002.

The police spokesman only said that the bomb in Makassar was detonated using a timer, while in Palopo, the perpetrators allegedly detonated the bomb using "an electronic system."

Nurman added that the police have not yet been able to uncover the motive of the bomb blast.

Meanwhile, Amin Syam, the governor of South Sulawesi, urged people in the province to stay vigilant.

"I have ordered that security in the public place be raised by, among others, installing metal detectors," he said.