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Philippine Forces capture Muslim militant
EFL:Philippine soldiers today captured a Muslim militant who escaped from police custody in July with Jemaah Islamiah (JI) bomb-maker Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi. Omar Lasal Opik, a member of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim kidnap gang, was caught in the town of Dumalinao, in the southern province of Zamboanga del Sur, by a special task force, along with another Muslim militant identified as Mukhtar Sali, Colonel Roland Rodriguez said. Two .45 caliber pistols were taken from the two men, said Rodriguez, who heads the task force that carried out the arrests. "Drop them rods and nobody gits hurt" And Rodriguez said al-Ghozi was believed to be near Dumalinao. "There is still an ongoing operation," he said, refusing to divulge further details of the manhunt. "I can say no more!" Opik was one of two militants who walked out of police headquarters in Manila with al-Ghozi, who was serving a 17-year jail term for possession of explosives, in a humiliating lapse of security for the Philippines, as Australian Prime Minister John Howard visited Manila to discuss anti-terrorist cooperation. The other Abu Sayyaf member who escaped with al-Ghozi, Abdulmukim Edris, was killed by troops in August. The escape set back regional efforts to combat terrorism, because al-Ghozi was one of the most senior JI militants in captivity. Until we bagged Hambali. Philippine military officials have previously said they believed al-Ghozi was being sheltered in the southern Philippines by local commanders of the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Yup, thatâs what Iâd guess. The MILF leadership, which plans to reopen peace talks with the government, has denied protecting al-Ghozi. They also say theyâre not a terrorist group. Posted by: Steve 2003-10-08 |
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