Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on the public to remain vigilant with regard to "suspicious" residents within their neighborhoods as they might be members of terrorist groups.

"If you find peculiarities, for example, there is a rented house with suspicious tenants, who have irregular activities at night, you cannot be apathetic. You need to be aware. Do something as a preventative measure," Yudhoyono told a press briefing at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in East Jakarta before departing for the UK on a state visit.

He also asked parents to intensify domestic education of their children as early prevention measures. "The victims of terrorist acts are, firstly, the suicide bomber himself, but then, the neighborhood. Hence, officials of the village as well as the RT [neighborhood unit] and the RW [community unit] must be vigilant," Yudhoyono said.

He also called on religious leaders to intensify measures to prevent radicalism. Yudhoyono's comment came following a series of terrorist-related incidents in several locations across Indonesia.

The National Police recently arrested 11 men in separate raids across Java on Friday night and Saturday in connection with the radical group Harakah Sunni for Indonesian Society (Hasmi). The police claimed the terrorist cells had planned to attack several locations including some foreign consulates in Surabaya, East Java. (iwa)