Indonesia Police Guard Churches, Malls, Hotels After Warnings
Two-thirds of the police force in each city of Indonesia will be deployed in a Christmas and New Year security operation
Two-thirds of the police force in each city of Indonesia will be deployed in a Christmas and New Year security operation, said the National Police Chief Friday after police found nine homemade bombs on a bus in West Java province.
Last week, Indonesia began the biggest security operation in years after receiving information from the U.S. and Australia on possible terrorist attacks during the Christmas and New Year season on targets including international hotels.
According to the Bloomberg media agency, the U.S. State Department on Dec. 18 warned of increased risk of travel to Indonesia during the December and January holidays after reports of a threat of attacks against Americans and other Western citizens. On Dec. 15, Australia asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Indonesia, its second warning in two days, because of "credible new information" that terrorists may attack a Hilton hotel and other targets. And on Sunday, police found an inactive grenade in the grounds of the Jakarta Hilton International Hotel.
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Last year, terrorists and members of religious extremist groups carried out attacks, including the August 2003 bombing at Jakarta's Marriott hotel that killed 12 persons and injured more than 100. The terrorist organization that orchestrated the attack, Jemaah Islamiyah, was also responsible for the recent September bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed 12 people, as well as the 2002 Bali bombings that killed at least 202 people, 88 of them Australians.
The deadliest Christmas-related attacks in Indonesia occurred on Christmas Eve 2000 when at least 16 people were killed as Christians were targeted in 18 church bombings.
In an attempt to fight against terrorism, the Indonesian Government cracked down on terrorists and other extremists who carried out attacks in the name of religion, convicting at least 79 in the past year or two.
During this year's Christmas and New Years celebrations, police in Indonesia are throwing a massive security blanket over thousands of churches, malls and hotels to thwart attacks by Muslim militants.
