Joint military-police anti-terror exercise closed

Chief of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) General Djoko Santoso officially closed a joint military-police counter-terrorism exercise here on Monday.

The three-day joint exercise under codenamed "Waspada Nusa II" involved 3,559 personnel from TNI and the National Police.

Exercise Director Vice Admiral Didik Heru Purnomo said the joint exercise ran smoothly in general and met the expected target and objectives.

"And there were no personnel and material losses in the exercise," he said.
Last Saturday (March 13), Gen. Santoso and National Police (Polri) Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri personally inspected some of the activities of the joint military-police anti-terror exercise.

They visited the Borobudur Hotel, one of the five locations where the joint exercise was conducted.

General Danuri said the joint exercise was taking place under the theme "Through Joint Counter Terrorism Ecercies, TNI and Polri are Ready to Professionally Deal With Every Form of Terror Attack Potentially Disturbing National Stability".

The exercise was carried out at the Borobudur Hotel, Mercure Ancol Hotel, the Indonesian Stock Exchange, Tanjung Priok coast, Seribu Islands oil field, and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Last Thursday, General Djoko Santoso said the joint anti-terror exercise by TNI and the National Police had nothing to do with US President Barack Obama`s upcoming visit.

"One of the backgrounds for carrying out this routine activity is the terror attacks in Bombay (Mumbai, India) some time ago," General Djoko Santoso said after officially opening the joint exercise.

TNI and the Police conducted the joint exercise against terrorists in Jakarta and surrounding areas, from March 11 to 13, 2010.

The Mumbai terror attacks at around 11 spots began on November 26, 2008 and lasted until November 29, killing at least 173 people and wounding another 308. The joint TNI-Police exercise was the second after the first one in 2008.