JAKARTA, Indonesia (16 Dec 2004) -- Indonesia was on high alert on Thursday after US, British and Australian warnings of a terrorist attack before Christmas, amid fears that Islamic militants wanted for the Bali bombings are poised to strike again. Police in the world's largest Muslim-populated country said an operation had been launched for the festive period, with thousands of extra men deployed to prevent attacks in a period previously targeted by Islamic extremists. Canberra warned of a possible attack on a Hilton hotel while security chiefs in Jakarta said they were preparing for more strikes by two fugitive Malaysians believed to be behind a series of blasts in the country. These include the October 2002 Bali bombings in which 202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed; a suicide attack on the Jakarta Marriott hotel last year which killed 12; and a September 9 explosion at the Australian embassy in which 11 died. Former professor Azahari Husin is accused of building the bombs used in all three attacks, allegedly coordinated with the help of recruiting expert Noordin Mohammad Top. They are suspected to be leading members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, which has staged a series of attacks in recent years. National police spokesman Paiman said the pair -- who have so far eluded an international hunt -- could be planning an attack in the pre-Christmas period."During this festive season we have launched an operation codenamed Lilin (candle) to deal with, among other things, terrorist bombings," Paiman told reporters. "Therefore we treat the Australian warning of a possible terrorist attack as useful information and such threat has been anticipated," he added. He declined to say whether police had specific information about an imminent attack. On Wednesday, Australia said it had received intelligence suggesting an impending terrorist strike in Indonesia, possibly targeting one of three Hilton hotels located in Jakarta, the second city of Surabaya and Bali. The Australian statement said other targets could not be ruled out and urged Australians in Indonesia to avoid all international hotels and other places where foreigners gather. Terrorist attacks in Bali killed some 200 tourists in October 2002. | | Britain and the United States have also warned that their citizens in Indonesia over Christmas and the New Year faced a "heightened risk" of attack. New Zealand has cautioned against non-essential travel to the country. Australian flag carrier Qantas has said it will refund tickets and waive cancellation fees for passengers wishing to scrap travel plans to Indonesia in light of the latest warnings. Before the alerts, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had ordered the deployment of extra police to safeguard churches across the country following recent attacks on Christian worshippers on Sulawesi island. Indonesia was hit by a wave of bomb attacks on 38 churches or priests on Christmas Eve 2000 in which 19 people perished. Those attacks have also been blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah. Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill was due to arrive in Indonesia for a two-day visit Thursday during which he will meet Yudhoyono. It was not known if the recent warnings were related to his trip. Canberra stepped up security links with Jakarta after the Bali blasts with Australian police specialists playing a key role in the investigations. The cooperation was extended after September's embassy attack. Yudhoyono, who was installed as president in October, has promised to get tougher on Islamic extremists -- a stance welcomed in Canberra which views him as an ally. SOURCE - AFP |
