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| Southeast Asia |
| Security Forces Foiled Terror Attack |
| 2006-08-28 |
| Cotabato City, 28 August (AKI) - Security forces in the Philippines have foiled a major terror attack as three suspected members of the home grown terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, were arrested while boarding a Super Ferry in Parang, Maguindanao (Mindanao), bound for the capital Manila. The Filipino army's Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, Army's Sixth Infantry Division spokesperson, told reporters on Monday that the three were carrying explosives and that the attack was to be carried out in Manila. "They were about to board the Superferry on Sunday when we arrested them. Our informer knew them as the bombers. Their initial plan was to board the ferry and carry out the bombings in Manila in exchange for money”, he told reporters. "Two improvised explosive devices were found on them," he added. The arrest of the three came as a report said the police fear bombings during the upcoming fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. A recently-released intelligence report warned that two explosive experts have arrived in Manila. The two experts allegedly belong to the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), a small group of Filipino converts to Islam that has been linked to a number of deadly assaults, including the bombing that gutted one Super Ferry and killed 116 people in February 2004. In the Super Ferry attack, the RSM is known to have collaborated with Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional terrorist organization aiming to unite most of Southeast Asia into an Islamic caliphate. Ando said that the foiled bombing could be part of diversionary tactic as soldiers continue the "Oplan Ultimatum," military operations to hunt down Abu Sayyaf leaders, particularly Khadaffy Janjalani, as well as Indonesians said to be members Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist network responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings which killed over 200 people. Active in Mindanao, the Abu Sayyaf and JI are on the European Union and US lists of terrorist groups. |
| Posted by:Steve |