Govt stresses school safety as police trace bomb threat suspect

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Atip Latipulhayat, condemned a bomb threat that disrupted the first day of a student orientation program at a public elementary school in South Jakarta, urging the school to suspend activities until security can be fully guaranteed.

"I ask the school management to suspend the orientation activities until there is a clear guarantee of safety," he said when contacted by ANTARA from Jakarta on Monday.

Atip made the statement in response to a bomb threat reportedly sent through a private message to a teacher at Srengseng Sawah 15 Public Elementary School in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, prompting police to evacuate students and school personnel.

"I deeply regret this act of terror targeting a school, which should be a safe place for children to learn. We all share the responsibility of ensuring that schools remain secure and conducive to teaching and learning. We strongly condemn those responsible for this act," he said.

The deputy minister added that the ministry would leave further legal action to the relevant authorities while emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.

Earlier, Jagakarsa Police Chief Commissioner Nurma Dewi said police received the report at around 7:30 a.m. local time while students and teachers were attending a flag-raising ceremony on the first day of the orientation program.

She said investigators had identified an individual suspected of sending the bomb threat via WhatsApp, which was later circulated among teachers and other school staff.

"We have already identified the suspect. Please be assured that we have taken the necessary follow-up measures," Dewi said.

She added that the National Police's Gegana bomb squad found no suspicious objects after conducting a two-hour search, despite the message claiming that 11 bombs had been planted within the school compound.

"However, the Gegana team's search is still ongoing. We ask the public to wait for the official results," she added.

Meanwhile, Greater Jakarta Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto assured the public that security measures had been implemented and that the situation remained under control.

He also urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information related to the incident.

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Translator: Hana Dewi, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Primayanti

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