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CANBERRA: Australia elevated its travel warning for Indonesia, saying Westerners faced potential danger in areas like Bali and Jakarta, as militants may be planning revenge attacks after one of their senior commanders was reportedly arrested in Pakistan.
Umar Patek, one of Southeast Asia’s most wanted terrorist suspects, was arrested after Pakistani security forces received a tip-off from American intelligence agents.
Patek is believed to have been the deputy field commander of the Southeast Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah, which has links to al Qaeda, during the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings which killed 202 people, mostly Indonesians and Australians.
“The reported arrest in Pakistan of Umar Patek, an Indonesian national alleged to be involved in several major terrorist attacks, may increase the risk of violent responses in Indonesia in the short term,” Australia’s Foreign Ministry warned in a travel risk advice.
“On some occasions where high profile extremists have been detained or killed, there has been a strong response from some supporters in Indonesia, including acts of violence.”
The Australian warning said any new attacks were more likely to focus on places where large numbers of Westerners gathered, including Bali and the capital Jakarta, and most likely in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and airports.
