Philippine police says arrest Islamic militant
MANILA, Mar 14 (Reuters) - The capture of a suspected Muslim militant may have averted planned bomb attacks in the capital as Philippine security forces were distracted by political tensions over a foiled coup plot, police officials said on Tuesday.
Ali Ambing, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group with links to the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiah, was caught last Friday at a hideout in Valenzuela City, north of Manila.
"We may have pre-empted what we believe was a wave of bomb attacks in Manila," said a police spokesman after parading the suspected Muslim militant before journalists on Tuesday.
Police said Ambing could be part of a group planning bomb attacks on the capital while military and police units are focused on defending the government against an alleged conspiracy between rogue troops and Maoist rebels to seize power.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said last month security officials had foiled a coup plot, prompting her to declare emergency rule for one week until March 3.
Superintendent James Brillantes, a police intelligence officer, said army and police uniforms, materials for crude bombs and several pictures of suspected Muslim militants were seized from Ambing.
Brillantes said Ambing was responsible for making the bombs that were used in the attack on a domestic ferry in February 2004 that killed more than 100 people, the worst terror attack in the Philippines.
"He was also the primary suspect in the blast outside an army base in Zamboanga City on Mindanao island that killed a U.S. army commando in 2002," he added.
Police and army intelligence were also investigating Ambing's role in other major bomb attacks in the Philippines, such as the Valentine's Day attack on Feb. 15, 2005 that killed six people in Manila's business district.
Marines officials in the southern Philippines said another suspected militant, who trained under Jemaah Islamiah in 2003, was caught this week on the southern island of Jolo, a Muslim separatist stronghold.
Julkaram Maron Hadjail did not resist arrest on Jolo, two weeks after 250 U.S. troops completed humanitarian missions on the island.
The U.S. soldiers were among about 5,000 troops who took part in two-week annual war games with Philippine soldiers to test the two countries' military readiness against external aggression.
Ali Ambing, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group with links to the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiah, was caught last Friday at a hideout in Valenzuela City, north of Manila.
"We may have pre-empted what we believe was a wave of bomb attacks in Manila," said a police spokesman after parading the suspected Muslim militant before journalists on Tuesday.
Police said Ambing could be part of a group planning bomb attacks on the capital while military and police units are focused on defending the government against an alleged conspiracy between rogue troops and Maoist rebels to seize power.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said last month security officials had foiled a coup plot, prompting her to declare emergency rule for one week until March 3.
Superintendent James Brillantes, a police intelligence officer, said army and police uniforms, materials for crude bombs and several pictures of suspected Muslim militants were seized from Ambing.
Brillantes said Ambing was responsible for making the bombs that were used in the attack on a domestic ferry in February 2004 that killed more than 100 people, the worst terror attack in the Philippines.
"He was also the primary suspect in the blast outside an army base in Zamboanga City on Mindanao island that killed a U.S. army commando in 2002," he added.
Police and army intelligence were also investigating Ambing's role in other major bomb attacks in the Philippines, such as the Valentine's Day attack on Feb. 15, 2005 that killed six people in Manila's business district.
Marines officials in the southern Philippines said another suspected militant, who trained under Jemaah Islamiah in 2003, was caught this week on the southern island of Jolo, a Muslim separatist stronghold.
Julkaram Maron Hadjail did not resist arrest on Jolo, two weeks after 250 U.S. troops completed humanitarian missions on the island.
The U.S. soldiers were among about 5,000 troops who took part in two-week annual war games with Philippine soldiers to test the two countries' military readiness against external aggression.
posted by Marko at 3/14/2006 06:20:00 AM
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