Australian Diplomats Miss Surabaya University Event Over Security Concerns
Jakarta. Staff members of Australia's consulate in Surabaya, East Java, could not attend an event at Airlangga University due to security concerns, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on Thursday (23/08).
"We continue to receive information indicating terrorists may be planning attacks in Indonesia. Due to heightened security concerns, staff at the Australian Consulate-General in Surabaya will not be attending an event at the Airlangga University in Surabaya on Aug. 23," the statement said.
The statement also mentioned Bali and Jakarta as places where Australian citizens should be more cautious.
Members of the consulate's staff were scheduled to attend an event at the city's biggest university on Thursday afternoon, according to a local news portal.
Police officials were not immediately available for comment.
The consulate was opened in Surabaya in early August.
In May, Surabaya suffered from a series of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings at churches and police headquarters. Police said Islamic State-affiliated group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) was responsible for the attacks.
The National Police's counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, has since arrested nearly 300 terrorism suspects, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said early this month.
The South Jakarta District Court declared JAD a forbidden organization in July.
According to CNN Indonesia, a one-minute video was spread by the Islamic State's hackers division on Tuesday. It reportedly contained threats against Indonesian authorities.