Operation Alliance

The bombing of Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club saw 202 people killed - among them 88 Australians. An already strong relationship between the AFP and the INP facilitated a rapid response to the event.

‘Operation Alliance’ was the successful joint Indonesian National Police (INP) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation and victim identification process after the terrorist bombings in Bali on 12 October 2002.

The bombing of Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club saw 202 people killed - among them 88 Australians. An already strong relationship between the AFP and the INP facilitated a rapid response to the event.

In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, the INP requested AFP assistance, and on 13 October, 14 AFP members were sent to Bali, including specialist victim identification officers, scientific crime scene investigators, and post-bomb-blast investigators.

At any one time the AFP had an average of 40 federal agents and analysts on the island assisting the INP with - among other issues - disaster victim identification, forensic investigation, criminal intelligence analysis and bomb data analysis.

The AFP also worked closely on the investigation and the preparation for prosecution.

At its peak, about 100 AFP members were deployed to Bali.

The Bali bombings demonstrated how law enforcement alliances can uncover previously unknown links and associations. 

The AFP’s support to the Indonesian response to the Bali bombings was one of the most significant and resource-intensive operations the AFP has undertaken. At its height, Operation Alliance had approximately 500 AFP members focused on matters relating to the bombings.