TANJUNGPINANG NAVAL BASE ON MALACCA STRAIT TERROR ALERT

Batam, March 5 (ANTARA) - The chief of the Tanjungpinang main naval base, Commodore SM Dorojatun, has confirmed units under his command had been alerted to a terror threat in the Malacca Strait, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

He said the Singapore Navy had recently issued a warning that a terror group was planning to attack tankers passing through the Malacca Strait.
"We received the information two days ago from Singapore's Navy and Indonesian intelligence agents," Dorojatun said here on Friday.

But Dorojatun said there was no need to panic over the news since the Indonesian navy was increasing its patrols in the strait to prevent terrorists from disturbing traffic in the waterway.

"We are alert and ready to take action against the threat," he added.

He said 12 to 15 Indonesian naval ships were now regularly patrolling Malacca Strait waters stretching from Sabang off the Aceh coast to the Natuna islands group.
The frequency of the naval patrols would be increased to prevent or overcome any possible terrorist activity in the Malacca Strait, he said.

Meanwhile, the chief of Riau Islands province's sea police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Yassin Kosasih, also confirmed the recent terror alert from the Singapore navy.

Yassin said he had assigned four members of the local police's anti-terror unit, six security personnel and 21 officers of the provincial sea police to conduct regular patrols in the Malacca Strait.

"The team from the anti-terror unit also includes several sharp shooters," he said.

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(T.SYS/B/A051/B/S012) 05-03-2010 23:37:02