Indonesia Beefs Up Security In Capital During Year-End Holiday

Ceremony to officiate the “Candle Operation”.

Jakarta, 23 Rabiul Awwal 1438/23 December 2016 (MINA) – Some 150,000 police and military personnel have been deployed to secure the capital city of Jakarta during the year-end holiday season, Bernama reported Indonesian police as saying on Thursday.

“Our main task is to anticipate terror attacks and moves that could breach public order and spark conflicts and act of crimes,” Indonesian Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said at a ceremony to officiate the “Candle Operation” to ensure security during the year-end season.

Tito said the operation will run from Dec 23 to Jan 1, 2017, and it is extendable, based on developing situation.

Similar operations will also be launched in other parts of the country.

Jakarta is on high security alert at present following a police raid on a house used by terrorist suspects in the southern part of the city on Wednesday.

Three suspects were killed during the raid. Police found an active high explosive bomb inside the house and arrested a suspect.

Police said the bomb would be used by the terrorist suspects to attack police stations in the near future.

The raid followed a series of arrests over the past week against a terror cell which had been planning a suicide bomb attack on the presidential palace. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)