Targeting hotels allows the terrorists to circumvent strict physical security at embassies, says intelligence group
The twin hotel bombings in Jakarta indicate that terrorists are tending to favour small bombs and luxury hotels over embassies, indicated a new analysis.
Targeting hotels with smaller suicide devices allows terrorists to circumvent physical security measures but also make the same type of statement against western imperialism as they could by hitting an embassy, said US intelligence group Stratfor.
The Jakarta attacks highlight the challenges associated with protecting soft targets such as hotels, said Stratfor in its incident analysis.
In the hotel attacks the terrorist group believed to be responsible, Jemaah Islamiah, killed nine people including themselves and six foreigners.
“Although hotel security has improved substantially, particularly in higher risk locations, it still lags behind embassies.
Within the last five years, militants have attacked hotels in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, India and Egypt, as well as multiple hotels simultaneously in Mumbai, Amman, and Sharm el-Sheikh, said the analysts.
Although hotel security has improved substantially, particularly in higher risk locations, it still lags behind embassies, Stratfor noted.
For more analysis of the Jakarta bombs see:
Soft targets now top of terrorists hit list