West Java Police step up security at strategic areas
Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
The police in West Java say they have enhanced security in all strategic areas in the province following the finding of an explosive device in one crowded shopping center in Bandung, the provincial capital, and a bomb blast in another on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Plaza Indonesia Department Store, where the explosive device was found on Thursday, was hit by a bomb blast on Friday, causing shoppers to flee the store in terror.
An antiterrorist unit from the Bandung Police was in the process of searching for the bomb after an unidentified person phoned a warning to the department store's staff that there was another bomb in the building (after the device found on Thursday).
Two people suffered light injuries when the homemade bomb, which was similar to a large firecracker, exploded in the basement of the Bandung Super Mal on Jl. Gatot Subroto on Thursday. The injured victims were then rushed to a nearby hospital.
Brig. Gen. Deddy S. Komaruddin, deputy chief of the West Java Provincial Police, said all police stations had been instructed to deploy more personnel to enhance security in public places, including shopping centers, hotels, offices, schools and transportation terminals.
"We have launched an operation in strategic places and on the streets to crack down on the terrorists who are trying to cause chaos in the city. All people and cars coming into the city must be checked. The operation is also underway in other towns, like Cirebon, Banjar and Ciamis," he said.
He explained that the operation was launched in anticipation of possible terrorist attacks following the Oct. 12 Bali tragedy that killed almost 200 people. "Besides, Bandung is quite susceptible to terrorist attacks because of its heterogeneous population and the presence of many foreigners in the city," he said.
West Bandung Police Precinct chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Zainul Arifin said a score of police and Mobile Brigade personnel had been deployed to search the Istana Plaza shopping center.
"But we didn't find any explosive devices," he said.
The Provincial Police have also established a 120-member counterterrorist unit in anticipation of further terrorist attacks in the province.
Sr. Comr. Hisar Nainggolan, inspector of the provincial police, said all members of the counterterrorist unit had received training on how to handle terrorist attacks and were skilled in the early detection of terrorist activities.
"The training course has been underway since Oct. 21 at the Mobile Brigade headquarters in the city, and is still ongoing," he said, adding that the counterterrorist unit would also have intelligence officers to assist it.