TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said that the government had received reports on the potential terror attacks at Senayan and Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI), Central Jakarta, which are near the location of the recent attacks at Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta on Thursday, January 14, 2016.

“A month or two months ago, Senayan and HI had been warned,” Ryamizard said before attending a closed meeting to discuss security at the State Palace on Thursday, January 14, 2016.

Ryamizard revealed that the National Intelligence Agency had provided a report about a possible terror attack. Ryamizard admitted that the perpetrators had exploited local authority’s weakness.

“The perpetrators would see [about authority readiness]. If the authority was prepared, they wouldn’t [attack]. But if the authority was not prepared, they will go for it,” Ryamizard explained.

Ryamizard denied that the government was not prepared for the attack. He appreciated police anticipative efforts preventing the attackers to enter Sarinah shopping center.

“If they weren’t intercepted, the damage inside could be a lot worse,” he said.

Ryamizard said that the government has yet concluded if the attackers were members of ISIS or other groups. He mentioned that terrorism and radicalism had spread across the country and caused new terrorist groups to emerge.

ANANDA TERESIA