ASEAN-Plus anti-terror exercise starts in Indonesia

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The ASEAN Defense Ministers'Meeting Plus Counter-Terrorism Exercise kicked off here on the southern outskirts of Indonesian Capital Jakarta Monday, bringing together more than 500 military personnel from 10 ASEAN countries as well as the eight Plus dialog partners.

The five-day exercise running until Friday is based on a fictional scenario of multiple bomb attacks in an oil tanker and a crowded event by terrorists. The exercise will focus on technical and tactical capabilities and the management of information and technology in counter-terrorism.

Indonesian military chief Moeldoko said at the opening ceremony that terrorism is an asymmetric threat and challenge to the world security which needs serious attention from all security elements.

Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, has been rocked by several deadly terror attacks over the last decade, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

Crackdown conducted by Indonesian authorities has weakened key militant groups and only low-impact attacks have been carried out in recent years.

This exercise is a good way to gain common understanding, share experiences, and improve capabilities and cooperation among militaries in the region to combat terrorism, Moeldoko added.

Established in 2010, the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus grouping 10 ASEAN states as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States is the highest official multilateral defense mechanism in Asia Pacific. Under the mechanism, the Defense Ministers agreed on dialog and cooperation in maritime security, counter-terrorism, disaster management, peacekeeping operations and military medicine.

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