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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility for bombing, warns of more attacks |
| 2006-03-30 |
| A man claiming to be a spokesman of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group warned Wednesday of impending terror attacks in Zamboanga City and Basilan islands in the southern Philippines, a local radio network reported. "The next bombings will be in Zamboanga City and Basilan," said Abu Sayyaf self-proclaimed spokesman Abu Omar in a text message to a radio station. The warning came two days after a powerful Abu Sayyaf bomb ripped through a two-storey convenience store in Jolo island, killing nine people and wounding two dozen others. Security officials appealed to the public to stay calm and be vigilant, saying authorities were hunting down members of the Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the series of terrorism and kidnappings for ransom in the southern region. "We urge the public to cooperate with authorities and report to us any suspicious persons or abandoned package. Do not listen to rumors, but stay vigilant," said Air Force Major Gamal Hayudini, spokesman for the military's Southern Command. He said Omar had been sending threat letters in the past to different radio and television stations in Zamboanga City, but his real identity remains unknown. Omar also previously threatened to kidnap and kill local journalists who criticized the Abu Sayyaf. It was not immediately known if Omar also claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Southern Command tagged Abu Sayyaf militant Ismin Sahiron as behind the bombing in Jolo. Sahiron is the son of Radulan Sahiron, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader in Jolo who is wanted by the United States for terrorism, said Hayudini. The US Department of Treasury has recently included the elder Sahiron and Abu Sayyaf leaders Jainal Antel Sali Jr. and Isnilon Totoni Hapilon in its list of terrorists. "The Abu Sayyaf Group instills terror throughout Southeast Asia through kidnappings, bombings, and brutal killings. This action financially isolates senior members of the Abu Sayyaf, who have planned and carried out vicious attacks on Americans, Filipinos and innocent citizens from around the world," said Patrick O'Brien, the Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crime. The US government, through the Department of State's Rewards for Justice Campaign, has offered to pay up to P5 million for the capture of individuals belonging to the Abu Sayyaf. In addition, the Department of Defense's US Pacific Command (Uspacom) has added the three terrorists to its Rewards Program offering up to $200,000 for information leading to their capture. Southern Command chief Major General Gabriel Habacon has ordered a tightened security in the region following the bombing in Jolo. "We are pursuing the terrorists and have tightened security in key areas in Mindanao," Habacon said. The US had deplored the bombing in Jolo and said it will continue to work closely with the Philippines to fight the threats of terrorism. Jolo military chief Brigadier General Alexander Aleo said the bomb used in the attack was made from ammonium nitrate and was so powerful that it destroyed the facade of the building. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Mindanao Senator Aquilino Pimentel condemned the latest attack. "I condemn in the strongest terms this most recent attack in Sulu. The Armed Forces and police shall leave no stone unturned in the hunt for the perpetrators and I ask our people to remain calm and vigilant," Arroyo said, as she urged the immediate passage of the proposed anti-terrorism law. The senator feared the bombing was aimed at sabotaging the peace process in Mindanao. "Saboteurs of peace in Sulu are killing innocent people to promote their own ends. It's very unusual incidence that it's budget time and the desire for more appropriations money could be a motive," he said. Pimentel said the timing of the bombing was "very unusual" as it happened while the Senate is set to take up the budget of the Department of National Defense and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He did not elaborate. Brigadier General Francisco Callelero, an army spokesman, said the Southern Command was investigating reports the attack was connected to a failed extortion by the Abu Sayyaf group. "Our investigators found a letter demanding money from the managers of the Sulu Cooperative Store days before the attack," he told reporters in Zamboanga City. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |