 Philippine authorities have arrested a Muslim terrorist extremist allegedly involved in fatal bombings including one that killed a US soldier in 2002.
Zamboanga city police chief Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo said the terrorist suspect, Hussin Ahaddin, has admitted being behind at least two terrorist bombings in the southern port including the blast that killed a US soldier. De Ocampo said, "He admitted in the course of investigation that he was involved in that terrorist incident that killed an American."
De Ocampo said the terrorist suspect was a member of the terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf.
A bomb attached to a motorcycle killed one American soldier and three Filipinos and wounded another US soldier and several other bystanders in October, 2002.
Ahaddin also admitted helping accomplish the terrorist bombing of two Zamboanga department stores several days later, killing seven people, de Ocampo said. Police are investigating whether the terrorist suspect was involved in the deadly bombing at a small hotel in Zamboanga on Sunday that killed three people and injured 27 others, said the police chief.
A handcuffed Ahaddin was briefly shown to reporters but he remained silent.
His sister, Julaida Arasain, said he was the innocent driver of a motorcycle-taxi and that it may be a case of mistaken identity. Sobbing, she told reporters, "We are asking for help. All the accusations against my terrorist brother are untrue. He is innocent." |