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Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Pinoy 'JI bomber' arrested
MANILA –- Government security forces have captured an alleged bomb maker trained by the Jemaah Islmiyah terror network, thwarting a plot to bomb shopping malls and other targets in the capital, officials said Monday.
Southern Police District (SPD) Director Roberto Rosales identified the suspect as Kaharudin Usman alias Kasalud, who is said to be a Filipino operative of the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
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SPD policemen arrested Usman after a brief chase inside SM Bicutan mall at 3 p.m. on August 3. He said Usman, who has admitted involvement in the planned bombing, is taking orders from JI leaders in the country.
At least two JI prominent leaders are in the country, particularly in Mindanao. They are Dulmatin and Omar Patek, who carry on their heads a US$10 million and US$1 million bounty, respectively, for their neutralization.
Rosales said Usman's group planned to bomb SM Shopping malls and food terminals in Metro Manila.
Rosales said they recovered materials for bomb making, including electric wires and explosive materials, from Usman at the time of his arrest.
Follow-up operations conducted in Usman's residence in Barangay Maharlika, Taguig City on Saturday resulted in the seizure of an improvised explosive device made from a 60 mm mortar with C-4 explosives, three batteries, three electric squib/bulb, assorted leg wires, one electric relay, one electric tester approximately six inches of red commercial detonating cords and a washing machine mechanical timer.
The explosive has complete components but still unarmed when it was recovered.
"These are powerful explosives and can result in much damage," the official also said.
Rosales said they saw text messages from Usman's cell phone -- recovered in his safe house -- coming from JI operative Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman, who is said to be a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Urban Bombing Squad.
Rosales described Talib as the right-hand man of Bin Hir and Usman.
The text message of Basit Usman directed the arrested suspect to rush up with the planning stage. "Hurry up with our plans there, lets include Manila, Davao and General Santos," read the text message which was received 9:08 p.m. of Friday.
Basit Usman's text informed the suspect of an attack in Koronadal City earlier last Friday. The attack resulted in several casualties.
Rosales said the suspect had been directed to supervise the bombing operations. He said the bombs that were to be used in the bombings were supposed to be assembled by an Indonesian JI member who has the aliases Saad and Sadi.
Police has implicated the suspect in the bombings of Yellow Bus Terminal in Koronadal City.
Usman's arrest came less than a month after the effectivity of the Human Security Act otherwise known as the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Police said Usman would be initially charged with possession of explosives. They are studying if he could be charged with terrorism under the anti-terror law.
In March, the US State Department announced a $5 million (euro3.7 million) reward for information leading to the capture of Bin Hir, a 40-year-old Malaysian engineer accused of involvement in a series of deadly bombings in the Philippines. The US has also offered a US$50,000 (euro38,000) for information leading to Usman's capture.
The arrest of Talib came amid intelligence operations in the wake of a military report that Jemaah Islamiyah and local Muslim rebels, acting on orders from Bin Hir, were planning to bomb selected targets in Manila, Rosales said.
Talib's team included an Indonesian man, known by his aliases Saad or Sadi, who also prepares bombs, Rosales said.
The Manila bombings were intended to spark additional funding from JI financiers from abroad and were to be synchronized with attacks in the southern Philippines, he said.(VR/AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (August 7, 2007 issue)
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