Indonesia downplays Aussie warning about possible terror attacks

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JAKARTA—Indonesian officials have downplayed a warning issued by Australia about possible terror attacks being planned in the country.

A travel advisory published Thursday on the website of Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned that “Recent indications suggest that terrorists may be in the advanced stages of preparing attacks in Indonesia,”

Responding to the advisory, Indonesian police Brigadier General Agus Rianto stressed that Indonesia remained a safe country, and the county’s police and military continued working together to maintain security across the archipelago.

“Everyone, wherever they are, can carry on with their activities,” said the brigadier general; however, he added that his office still took the warning seriously.

Echoing Agus Rianto, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the government has worked out strategies to deal with any possible terror attacks.

“If there’s a warning from a foreign country, we accept it as an advice. But we also want to tell the world that Indonesia is safe,” Pramono said at the State Palace in Jakarta.

Pramono added that the police and military have beefed up security across the nation, especially at airports and sea ports.

“We continue to search for any (terrorist) networks and cells (in Indonesia). We’re also trying very hard to improve our counter-terrorism law,” he added.

Indonesia has been cracking down on suspected militants since the terror attack in the country’s capital last month in which eight people were killed, including four attackers. The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.