N. Sulawesi: Security tight ahead of international sail event

ID card raids are being carried out in North Sulawesi ahead of the Sail Bunaken festival in Manado scheduled to begin on August 19, Antara reported.

According to North Sulawesi official Arnold Poli, the raids will be conducted at public spaces and rented houses.

Poli said police, Armed Forces and provincial government personnel are tightening security in the province with officials from at least 30 countries expected to arrive in the area over the next two weeks.

Twenty-nine naval vessels from Russia, China, India, Australia, South Korea and the US, which will be represented by the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and three destroyers, are expected to participate in the Indonesia Fleet Review portion of the event.

Securing the high-profile event and allaying public safety concerns has been receiving considerable attention in light of the July 17 Jakarta suicide attacks.

A demonstration of additional security measures ended in tragedy recently when a police officer was killed and four others were injured when a home-made bomb exploded during a counter terrorism drill.

The police officers were on a rubber boat trying to defuse the bomb when it exploded.

North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang and Bitung Mayor Hanny Sondakh were observing the exercise at the time of the incident.