The suspected mastermind of the deadly 2002 Bali bombings appears to have given thousands of Philippine troops the slip, forcing them to shift their hunt to another island in the remote south of the country.Lieutenant-Colonel Bartolome Bacarro says there were strong indications Dulmatin, a leader of regional Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), had escaped Jolo island and moved to a smaller nearby island despite a naval blockade. "I cannot disclose his exact location ...
| "... damned if I know, really ..." |
Dulmatin's children, aged from two to nine years, were discovered on Simunul island when soldiers raided a suspected rebel hideout after a tip from local residents. Dulmatin was not at the camp but army officials have said privately he was likely to have been nearby.
| Heroic Lion of Islam™ defending his kiddies ... |
Philippine security officials have said Dulmatin and another suspect in the Bali bombing, Umar Patek, were part of a group of up to 10 JI members hiding on Jolo and training local Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf in bomb-making. Since August, about 8,000 soldiers, backed by US advisers and equipment, have been deployed on Jolo to flush out about 400 Abu Sayyaf rebels and their JI allies.