Indonesia is likely to see more attempted terrorist attacks with foreigners "back on the agenda" as targets, an expert has warned.
Director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, Sidney Jones, told a forum in Jakarta on Friday that the attack in the capital on January 14 was likely the beginning of further activity.
"Police are still the primary targets but foreigners for the first time since 2009 are back on the agenda," she said.
While the attack on January 14 was not "very professional" and resulted in few fatalities, the fact they got saturated news coverage has to be "at least a partial success" for those involved.
One reason for the increase in the threat level, Dr Jones argued, was the separate push of three men - Bahrumsyah, Bahrun Naim and Abu Jandal - to gain supremacy in the terrorism sphere.
"The competition between these three ... can have lethal consequences in Indonesia because how do you prove you are the person most deserving of leadership and acknowledgment? It is by organising your followers to do something."
Various pro-ISIS groups are also in competition in Indonesia to show they can carry out attacks, she said.
With entry into Syria becoming increasing difficulty, people are also looking to their home soil.
One way Indonesia could combat the threat was by tapping into the more than 200 Indonesians who have recently been deported from the Syrian border by Turkish authorities, Dr Jones said.
They could provide an invaluable insight into their motivations for wanting to fight in Syria and the networks they used.
"You would have the basis of putting together a very interesting prevention program."
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