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| Southeast Asia |
| Kabalu sez Philippines terror bust just small fry |
| 2005-07-01 |
| THE three suspected terrorists arrested a few days ago are not included in the list of top 53 terrorists operating in Mindanao, said a spokesman of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Eid Kabalu said in a telephone interview Thursday the arrested suspects were just small fries. The suspects, identified as Norodin Mangelen, Pedro Guiamat Hamsa, and Ali Kangkong, are suspected of planting improvised explosive devices in southern cities in attacks that killed dozens of civilians from 2001 to 2003. Kabalu said based on the order of battle furnished them by the government the three are not among the top 53 suspected terrorists. The rebel group said it is helping government run after terrorists operating in MILF-controlled areas. "We have an ongoing effort to drive away if not to capture suspected criminal elements hiding in MILF areas. Navalidate na namin ang mga names sa listahan (We were able to validate the names) but the three were not included in the list of 53," Kabalu said. Earlier reports said the MILF was instrumental in the arrest of the three suspects. Kabalu, however, denied that the MILF was actively involved in the operation. "If ever meron man siguro (we were involved it was) through sharing of information lang which we could not divulge to the public," Kabalu said. One of the suspects allegedly confessed to working with the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group. All three face charges of multiple murders issued by a local court. Mangelen, a principal suspect in the December 2004 bombing in General Santos City that killed 15 people, had confessed during an interrogation that he was a local liaison for Jemaah Islamiyah and the leader of a terror cell. It was not immediately clear when the arrests took place, but authorities said Mangelen led police to the other men. Earlier this month, authorities said they were searching in the southern Philippines for two suspected Indonesian terrorists blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings. The pair -- Umar Patek and Pitono, also known as Dulmatin, -- are among 40 Indonesians from JI believed to be involved in jungle terror training of local Muslim insurgents, officials said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |