Indonesia ? Restaurants on a Bali beach hit by terrorists were warned a month ago that they could be targets after the discovery of a partially made bomb at a nearby hotel, but village leaders delayed plans to bolster security, an official said Thursday.

Cafes along Jimbaran Bay were told in August to station guards and to check bags and cars entering the area, but the village decided to wait until after a Hindu holiday celebrated on the resort island Wednesday – four days after the deadly Oct. 1 attacks by three suicide bombers, police Capt. D. Dharmada told The Associated Press.

“If those measures had been implemented, this attack probably wouldn’t have happened,” he said.

Dharmada added that police had stepped up security, but there was a limited number of officers, so hotels and restaurants – including 28 cafes in the area – were told to help out.

Nyoman Soka, chief of the village that includes the cafes, said he attended a meeting between police and local leaders but insisted there was no firm security proposal made ahead of the bombings.