Parcel bomb scare grips residents in many regions

Over the past one week, residents in several Indonesian regions have been terrorized by issues of parcel bombs which have been reported among other things in Jakarta, Cibubur, Bandung (West Java), Tangerang (Banten), Medan (North Sumatra), Surabaya (East Java) and Makassar (South Sulawesi).

No one has been killed so far by parcel bombs, and only three policemen were injured when one of them was trying to defuse a parcel bomb sent to Ulil Abshar Abdallah, a founder of the Islam Liberal Network (JIL), at Utan Kayu, Jakarta, on March 15, 2011.

However, a series of the parcel bomb terrors have caused unrest and even paranoia among some people.

Almost every day there are reports filed to police on alleged parcel bombs, some were proven to be true and some were not. 

On March 15, in addition to the one at Utan Kayu, parcel bombs were also sent respectively to Goris Mere, the chief of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (BNN), Yapto Soeryosumarno, the chief of the Pancasila (state ideology) Youth organization, and Ahmad Dhani, a musician. 

The low-explosive bombs were generally put inside "books" with certain "messages". For Ulil and Goris, "the books" were entitled "They must be killed: For their sins against Islam and Muslims"; For Ahmad Dhani "Militant Jews"; and for Yapto "Does Pancasila Still Exist?". 

A Bank Central Asia (BCA) building at Serpong Road, Banten Province, received a bomb threat on March 18. In Cibubur, Bogor, a plastic bag containing a bomb was also found on the same day.

On the following day (March 19), a Jakarta metropolitan police bomb squad had detonated a suspicious packages which a local resident named Iskandar and Jakarta-based Muhammadiyah University Rector Masyitoh Chusnan had received respectively.

In Medan, North Sumatra, also on March 19, a church at Titi Papan Road received a bomb threat.

On Monday (March 21), people in Bogor city were also gripped by fear of bomb explosions following the discovery of a parcel suspected of containing a bomb near the city`s grand mosque. 

A woman in Bekasi recently reported to the police that she had received a package from an unknown address. A "Gegana" anti-bomb squad arrived at her house and brought the suspicious parcel to a safer place. After being sure that the package was safe, a Gegana officer opened it, and found just several babysitters dresses inside the parcel and none of them had explosives.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta, Monday (21/3) accused irresponsible people had smeared the Indonesian people`s peaceful and tranquil lives lately.

He instructed security officers and law enforcers to work fast and arrest all perpetrators, as the people must not be left in a fearful situation.

"We must not let our country become a land of adventure and dirty hands of irresponsible people," he said. 

National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo said in Jakarta, Thursday (17/3) that Police were focusing on finding the couriers of bombs planted in books sent to several people, including community figures lately.

Timur admitted that the terror in the form of book bombs was a new modus. He said however that he did not want to rush to conclusions with regard to the case.

"This is a new modus, so a thorough investigation is needed. This one is the same and so we will certainly evaluate all incoming information," he said.

To anticipate internal and external threats, including terror threats, the National Defense Forces (TNI) is intensifying its intelligence and territorial command operations.

"Besides, externally, we also intensify our approaches to the public, local prominent figures, religious prominent figures, police, and concerned institutions, in order to anticipate various threats, especially the current terror threats as early as possible, and to stem the impacts," Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul, a TNI spokesman, in Jakarta, Monday (21/3).

Iskandar admitted that the intelligent had initially failed to anticipate terrorists` new modus by using parcel and book-contained bombs

"If we don`t anticipate earlier, there might be more bomb terrors. Therefore, BAIS (military intelligence agency) and BIN (State Intelligence Agency) will step up cooperation and coordination to deal with the cases," he said.

Besides TNI, the Indonesian Police have asked the public to anticipate the threats of parcel bombs.

"The Police call for the public`s participation in detecting the perpetrators. The people`s sensitivity must be increased to see and inform us about suspected people around us," Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar, head of the National Police Headquarters` public information chief, said in Jakarta, Friday 18/3).

He urged the people to report local leaders of neighborhood and community, village chiefs and security authorities in their respective regions if they are suspicious of something.

"And you must immediately report if you get packages or something suspicious. Police will check the objects by sending a Gegana bomb squad," Boy Rafli Amar said.

Spokesman of Jakarta Police Senior Commissioner Baharuddin Jafar said earlier that the explosion at Utan Kayu injured at least three persons.

One of the victims is the head of East Jakarta police detective unit, Senior Commissioner Dodi Rachmawan who suffered an injury in his hand. Dody Rachmawan, set off the bomb as he attempted to defuse the package contained a thick book which has been implanted with explosives, with his bare hands.

Police have questioned 12 witnesses in connection with book bombs in three places in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"Until now we have questioned 12 witnesses for the three cases eight of them from Utan Kayu (one of the scenes)," the national police`s head of public information, Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said in Jakarta on Thursday (17/3).

Head of National Anti-terror Agency (BNPT) Ansyaad Mbai said earlier that he was optimistic the bomb terror perpetrators would soon been caught. He believed that the bomb terror that had continuously rocked Jakarta this week could be the work of "old players"

The Anti-Terror Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) had recognized the suspected group or individuals, he said. 

President Yudhoyono, in a cabinet meeting last Thursday said, "Nothing is more important than maintaining security. Therefore the security forces should work harder and seriously to find the people who have sent the letter bombs." 

The head of state also asked intelligence personnel both from the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the National Police, and the National Defense Forces (TNI), including territorial commanders to work harder to find the culprits.

"All intelligence personnel from the BIN, Police, TNI, and the territorial commands should work harder. Do not give any chance to anyone who tried rip disrupt security that we have been laboriously maintained," the president said. 

He said the country`s security personnel should show that they are professionals in maintaining the security situation in the country. 

The NGO Imparsial has blamed the present spate of parcel bomb threats on the intelligence agencies` failure to foresee the terrorist activity.

"The parcel bomb terror at Utan Kayu, East Jakarta, the BNN (National Narcotics Agency) office and others happened because of the weaknesses in our intelligence agencies, they have not been sharp enough and lack sophisticated equipment," Imparsial Executive Director Poengky Indarti said here Friday.

Poengky believed that the bomb threats were politically motivated and aimed at making people scared and restless.

The threats had been well planned and systematically done by those who were experienced and skillful in making bombs, he said.

Police have issued a sketch of the face of the person who delivered a parcel bomb at the Radio News Agency 68H in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta, last Tuesday.

"The sketch was drawn based on information from witnesses and with the help of a sketch expert," the National Police Headquarters public information officer, Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Anwar said Friday (18/3).

The courier was a brown-skinned man with a beard and sleepy eyes, he said.

"He was wearing a hat and a black jacket and about 165 centimeters tall and 30 years old," he said.

The police officer reiterated his call for the public`s participation in the efforts to uncover the terrorist act

Source: ANTARA