The Sydney Morning Herald, January 14, 2005 - 6:14AM
Bomb alert at Jakarta embassies
Britain closed its embassy in Jakarta today following a bomb threat, the foreign
ministry announced.
Indonesian police mobilised bomb squads and anti-terror personnel after reported
threats of a possible attack near the British and Thai embassies in Jakarta.
"The British Embassy and the Consulate General have suspended services with
immediate effect in response to the specific bomb threat to the embassy," the British
Foreign Office said in a statement.
"We continue to receive reports that terrorists in Indonesia are planning further attacks
on Westerners and Western interests".
A spokesman for the city's police said telephone calls warning of an attack on the
missions, both located in the central business district close to several major
upmarket hotels and media organisations, were being taken seriously.
"Earlier, two telephone calls were placed to the British embassy and the Thai
embassy in central Jakarta warning them of a bomb attack," Jakarta police
spokesman Chief Commissioner Ciptono told AFP.
"Two police bomb squads and two additional teams including an anti-terror unit are
now scouring the area where both embassies are located. We are not taking this
threat lightly," he said.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated country, has been hit by a series of
terrorist attacks in recent years, all blamed on the Jemaah Islamiah extremist group
said to be the Southeast Asian arm of al-Qaeda.
The deadliest attack on nightclubs on the resort island of Bali in October 2002 left 202
people dead, including 88 Australians. An attack on the Australian embassy in
Jakarta last September left 11 people dead.
Indonesia has been on high alert for a possible attack in recent weeks following
warnings by foreign governments that terrorists may be plotting an attack to coincide
with the Christmas period.
Australia, Britain, the United States and New Zealand have all advised their citizens to
avoid unnecessary travel to the country.
AFP
Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.
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