Thursday, October 12, 2006
Suspicions in RP bombings fall quickly on Indonesian militant (6:33 p.m.)
MANILA -- Three homemade bombs that exploded this week in the southern Philippines, including one that killed six people, were set off by mobile phones, a sign that officials believe points to Dulmatin, one of Asia's most wanted terror suspects.
A fourth unexploded bomb, made of two 81 mm mortar rounds attached to a Nokia mobile phone, was found Wednesday near a public plaza in Makilala town, site of the explosion that killed six people and wounded 29 the night before, police said.
When investigators examined the mobile phone, it had one missed call -- an eerie indication of the attacker's failed effort to trigger a deadly explosion, a police official said Thursday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
While an investigation has just begun, officials strongly believe it will eventually lead to Dulmatin and his group, the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for some of the region's worst terrorist strikes.
Police intelligence officials have said Dulmatin, from Indonesia, introduced bombs made with mobile phone-triggered mortar rounds with small electrical boards to Filipino guerrillas in secret training camps in the south. Previously, Filipino Muslim rebels generally used grenades or other forms of hand-thrown explosives. (AP) |
