Terror threat for Balinese cities

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THE Balinese cities of Denpasar and Singaraja could soon be targeted by terrorists responsible for the Jakarta blasts outside the Sarinah shopping mall, according to reports.

Indonesian police are investigating a threatening letter that was sent to a local government office in the Balinese regency of Buleleng that warns the terror network is “ready to blow up these cities in the name of Allah”, according to Fairfax Media.

“Our members are currently present in Denpasar and Singaraja,” it said. The letter also warned they would “attack shopping centres, offices and tourism destinations.”

Buleleng police chief Heri Heriyadi said the letter had been delivered to the local government office at Buleleng before 9am this morning.

“When the letter was opened by administration staff the situation turned quite chaotic,” he said.

“It was a threatening letter, one of our team was there, saw the letter and the ruckus, they immediately took the letter and witnesses to police station, so we can do an immediate follow up.”

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the gunfire and seven explosions, including one attack at a Starbucks near the United Nations building, that took place in central Jakarta on Thursday.

The death toll now stands at eight, including four civilians.

Rallies were held across Indonesia yesterday to condemn last week’s terror attack and in Indra Maya in West Java, a crowd of locals took to the streets.

Residents there do not want their town to be remembered as the former home of 25-year-old Ahmad Muhazan, the Starbucks suicide bomber.

Muhazan’s body was due to be brought to Indra Maya for burial but a group of locals marched through town with a banner that read: “We reject the corpse of the terrorist”.

A local cleric was among the crowd.

“The grassroots have rejected the corpse and moreover the educated people like the scholars, students, clerics and the community elders, they are clearly rejecting the corpse because his deed violates law and religion.”

Another rally took place in Purwokerto, Central Java, where the local branch of Indonesia’s largest Islamic youth movement marched with signs saying, “Go to hell terrorists” and “Let’s reject the caliphate — it damages Indonesian unity”.

In Indra Maya in West Java, a crowd of locals took to the streets.

Residents there do not want their town to be remembered as the former home of 25-year-old Ahmad Muhazan, the Starbucks suicide bomber.

Muhazan’s body was due to be brought to Indra Maya for burial but a group of locals marched through town with a banner that read: “We reject the corpse of the terrorist”.

The Australian government website smarttraveller.com.au advises Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia, however the overall level of advice has not changed since the attacks.