Indonesia on highest security alert for Easter

All security institutions will be on the highest level of alert for this weekend's Easter celebrations, a minister said on Thursday as quoted by The Jakarta Globe

"The president has ordered the military and the police and all other institutions related to terrorism eradication to coordinate on this," Djoko Suyanto, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said at the president's office following a limited cabinet meeting on security issues.

"Starting tonight until the day after Easter, the military and the police will be on the highest alert at all places," he added.

The announcement came the same day a bomb was found in a gas pipeline Owned by State, gas distribution firm PT. PGN (Persero) in Serpong, Tangerang, only a hundred meters away from a Catholic Church.

Djoko added that the same high level of security would be in place for all religious celebrations.

The Jakarta Police has ordered more than 20,000 officers to guard churches and conduct preventive measures such as bomb sweeping. (*)