Govt beefs up security ahead of Idul Fitri



JAKARTA. The government has given an assurance that all security personnel will be on standby and alert to secure public places from any terror attacks during the Idul Fitri holiday.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said his office had coordinated with all related stakeholders including the Transportation Ministry, Indonesian Military (TNI), as well as the National Police to safeguard crucial public facilities, particularly airports, where terror attacks could possibly occur.

"We have prepared security for airports that face a potentially greater threat. TNI and National Police personnel will guard the airports both openly and behind the scenes," Luhut said on Friday. Idul Fitri will fall on July 6-7.


So far, the government has yet to identify any imminent threat from terrorist groups including the Islamic State (IS) movement in the country, Luhut said, adding that the successful break up of terrorist networks in Indonesia, including the latest one in Surabaya, East Java, recently, had contributed to reducing the threat level.

The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) as well as the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) will continue to work to identify and tackle the threats, Luhut added. (Marguerite Afra Sapiie)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie