World

Australians pay respects to Bali bomb victims

21:56 pm on 11 October 2012

Australians in Bali have begun to pay respects to those killed in the 2002 bombings by visiting the official memorial in Kuta.

The bomb attacks on the popular tourist resort island 10 years ago killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and three New Zealanders. Popular night-clubs Paddy's Bar and the Sari Club were targeted.

Thousands of people are expected to attend a memorial service on the island on Friday, including Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully.

Susan O'Donnell's daughter, Amber, was among those who died in the Sari Club.

"They deserve to be remembered. They were young people just enjoying themselves, the weren't doing anything wrong."

Ms O'Donnell says she's glad some of the bombers got the death penalty.

Other friends and family members of those who were killed have been flowers and lighting candles at the site of the bombings on Thursday, the ABC reports.

'No specific threat'

Indonesian authorities have backed away from comments about a specific terrorist threat to Australian VIPs attending the memorial service.

However, authorities are still on high alert for a terrorist attack, the ABC reports.

On Wednesday, Bali's deputy police chief Brigadier General Yoda said intelligence suggested a serious threat to visiting VIPs, but he has since said there is no specific threat.

A counter-terrorism boss in Jakarta told the ABC that police chiefs were just preparing security forces for the worst possible outcome.

A 1500-strong security force will provide security for the event.

Elite anti-terrorism units, the bomb squad and heavily armed police brigades were on Wednesday given their final instructions on combating any terror threats.