RI TIGHTENS SECURITY IN ALL LAND, SEA BORDER REGIONS

Jakarta, Mar 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has tightened security in all its land and maritime border regions following the discovery of terrorist activity led by a militant previously known to be operating in a neighboring country.

"Since a few days ago, all military commands of regions bordering on foreign countries have been stepping up security along our land and sea borders to minimize the possibility of terrorists entering or leaving Indonesian territory," National Defense Forces (TNI) Headquarters spokesman Commodore Sagom Tamboen said here Friday.

The security beefing up measures would continue to be taken indefinitely "because there is also no respite in terrorist activity," he said.

"Measures to enhance security have not only been taken in regions bordering on Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines through which terrorists and their weapons 'traditionally' pass through but also in a number of other regions considered passable by terrorists," Sagom said.

The TNI spokesman's statement came a few days after the police's success in eliminating top terrorist Dulmatin alias Djoko Pitono and a few of his lieutenants in raids in Pamulang, on the western outskirts of Jakarta. Dulmatin had for years been reported to be operating in the southern Philippines after allegedly helping to plan and carry out the Bali terror bombings in 2002.
After Dulmatin was shot to death not far from his hideout in Pamulang, the police disclosed he had been directing terrorist activity in the northern province of Aceh.