Following the suicide bombing in Makassar, South Sulawesi, which injured 19 people and killed its two perpetrators on Sunday, March 29, 2021, police in Bali are stepping up security measures in the province’s port of entries and places of worship.
The blast took place at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Makassar during a Palm Sunday Mass, which marked the first day of the Easter Holy Week.
Bali Police spokesman Syamsi said that they are tightening security in ports of entry and exit across Bali, such as in Padangbai and Gilimanuk Ports.
“We have also stationed police officers in churches to guard the worshipping activities among Christians. And also, we are stepping up security across our own stations.”
Before the blast in Makasar, three years ago, IS-linked suicide bombers targeted three churches in the East Java capital Surabaya, killing 28 people and injuring 50 others. But, Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist attack took place in Bali in 2002, when Islamist militants killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.
The incidents spurred the government to pass new anti-terrorism legislation that gave authorities expanded powers to prevent terrorist acts and punish perpetrators.
