TERRORIST ACTIVITY TO DECLINE FOR SOME TIME : INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

Banten, Oct 15 (ANTARA) - Terrorist activity in Indonesia is expected to decline for some time following the recent elimination of top terror mastermind Noordin M Top and a number of his lieutenants, the country's intelligence chief said.

"But though there will be a lull in terrorist activity , we need to maintain vigilance against the threat of terrorism," State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chief Syamsir Siregar said here on Thursday.

He made the statement after addressing a post-fasting month get-together with regional government officials, community figures and ulema in Banten.

"The deaths of several terrorist leaders over the past three months, will prompt existing terrorist cells and groups to hide," he said.

Siregar warned that the quiet situation of the terrorist groups must however be anticipated because they could use the time to consolidate and build the strength of their organization to launch attacks in the future.

"So, we have to remain alert although they temporarily stop their activities," he said.

On how long they would stay quiet, Syamsir Siregar said it could be up to four to five years.

"But this will depend on the map of their strength. So, we should remain alert because terror acts are almost impossible to predict although indicators of their plans can be detected," he said.

The anti-terror unit of the National Police Headquarters had arrested 466 terror suspects since the Bali bombing incident in 2002.

A total of 14 of the number were killed because they resisted arrest when police raided them.

With the death of a number of terrorists, vital communication and information links among terrorist cells had been effectively cut.

"The Police's policy in each of the raids was to arrest suspects alive. But in the field police were forced to shoot dead the suspects because they resisted," Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said.