Fresh terror warning for Indonesia
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Terrorists are at an advanced stage of planning attacks on Indonesian soil, the Australian government has warned.
The Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs late Thursday renewed a warning to Australians to defer all non-essential travel to Indonesia.
The department cited reports that terrorists were well advanced in their planning of an attack against westerners in Indonesia.
"We continue to receive a stream of credible reporting suggesting that terrorists are in the very advanced stages of planning attacks in Indonesia," DFAT said in its travel advisory.
"Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia and could be directed at any locations known to be frequented by foreigners."
The advisory said Australians in Indonesia who were concerned for their safety should consider departing while those who must stay needed to exercise extreme caution.
The advisory applies to the whole of Indonesia, including the tourist island of Bali and said hotels frequented by westerners in Jakarta are being targeted in current terrorist planning.
Indonesian National Police said security has been increased at a number of Jakarta hotels because of the potential for terrorist attack.
Australians are also being advised to avoid all travel to Aceh and Maluku province, particularly the capital Ambon.
Australians in Aceh and Maluku should depart, the advisory said.
"We continue to receive reports that terrorists may be planning attacks against foreigners involved in the tsunami relief effort in Aceh and other parts of northern Sumatra," the advisory said.
The updated advisory follows an alert issued by the U.S. State Department last month warning U.S. citizens to consider leaving Indonesia because of increased potential for terrorism and anti-American violence because of the war in Iraq.
The Australian embassy in Jakarta was bombed in September 2004 in a terrorist attack that left 10 people dead.
In 2002, bombers struck nightclubs in the tourist strip of Bali killing more than 200 people, including 88 Australians.
The following year, 12 people were killed after a suicide bomber struck the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta.
In recent days the Indonesian embassy in Canberra has been closed twice after suspicious packages containing powder were sent there.
Feelings have been running high in Australia over the jailing of a a 27-year-old Australian woman in Indonesia for 20 years on drug-smuggling charges.
Many Australians believe the woman, Schapelle Corby, is innocent of the charges and did not receive a fair trial.
