Philippine and US authorities have arrested an Indonesian suspected of being a Jemaah Islamiya "terrorist" in the southern Philippines ahead of President George W. Bush's visit to Manila, the military said last night. Military and police agents raided a pension house in Cotabato City in Central Mindanao on Thursday and arrested Taufic Rifqi, a member of the Southeast Asian militant group linked to a series of bombings in Bali and Jakarta and in Manila which killed hundreds of people since 2000.
| "Hiya, Tewfik. Stick 'em up!" |
The military said at least 3 US agents participated in the operation that led to the capture of the JI member. It was not immediately known how the Indonesian terrorist was tracked down, but the military said the foreigner is being interrogated in an undisclosed place.
| "Oooch! Ouch! Hey! Stop that!" |
The capture of the JI member came barely two weeks before Bush's arrival in Manila. President Gloria Arroyo has ordered the police and military to be in high alert because of reports that Abu Sayyaf rebels, whose group is tied to the Al-Qaeda network, would mount fresh attacks targeting US interests. |