Training to combat anthrax attack

JAKARTA: Some 50 police personnel joined a day-long training course Tuesday on how to deal with an anthrax attack in the capital, a senior official at Jakarta Police headquarters said.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Slamet Purnomo, chief of the Jakarta Police medical and health center, said that the course was provided so as to comply with requests from several embassies in Jakarta for protection against possible anthrax attacks.

"The course, which is being attended by police officers from operational units in police precincts across Jakarta, intelligence units and detectives, is aimed at preparing police officers so that they can cope with possible attacks," Slamet said.

Police reported three weeks ago that suspicious parcels, suspected of containing anthrax spores, had been mailed to the British Embassy and the Australian Embassy. After examining the parcels, police said they were free of anthrax spores.

Slamet said that anthrax in Indonesia normally only attacked animals, but the virus could be lethal to people if it were to infect their lungs.--JP