Robert Go, Jakarta – The police and armed forces are preparing "for the worst" as the Christmas holiday approaches and as Indonesia heads into nationwide elections next year, the country's top security minister has said.

"We have to intensify our operations in identifying threats to our security, including a possible strike by terrorists," said Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after addressing a conference on security in Jakarta yesterday.

He previously told conference participants, including officials and academics from Asia-Pacific nations, that countries would need to cooperate to fight terrorism and maintain global stability.

The minister, a potential presidential candidate next year, said: "We have to work together to fight terror, irrespective of whether you are Indonesian, Filipino, Russian, Chinese, American, Japanese or Australian. In the war against terror, we are all strategic partners, we are all in it for the long haul."

The comments came at a time of increasing uncertainty about security in Indonesia and the region.

Private individuals in Jakarta are circulating numerous e-mail messages about potential threats during the upcoming holiday season. Church bombings, similar to those that killed 19 across the country in 2000, are feared.

On Friday, the United States Embassy in Jakarta issued a warning to Americans living and travelling in Indonesia, saying they could be targeted during a holiday bombing campaign.

The statement said: "The potential for additional bombings at places where Americans and Westerners are known to live is particularly high during the weeks around Christmas through the New Year." Indonesian observers also noted that the 2004 election year, and the high-profile campaign events as politicians jostle for leadership positions, might present terrorists with targets.

Earlier yesterday, during another conference in the tourist island of Bali, Mr Susilo warned that terrorism is a "clear and present danger" and that terror groups may be "regrouping" and "planning more attacks". "We are up against determined enemies who attack us again and again," he said.

The government will keep thousands of security personnel on duty this holiday season. As many as 180,000 policemen and 60,000 soldiers will take on extra duties to secure the elections next year, officials said.

The authorities have detained more than 100 suspected terrorists in the past year, but they warn that many more, including some suicide cells belonging to regional threat Jemaah Islamiah, are still on the loose and could cause further trouble.

Mr Susilo also advised "moderation" and "tolerance" in fighting the roots of terrorism. He said Asia-Pacific nations needed to ensure "our fight against terrorism does not lead to new strategic tensions or aggravate existing ones". "If this happens, the terrorists will benefit," he said.

Meanwhile, police in restive Muslim-majority southern Thailand said yesterday they were on high alert for terror attacks in the region's main city Hat Yai during the Christmas and New Year period, AFP reported.

Security would be stepped up at bus and train stations, which in the past have been targeted with bomb attacks.