The Philippines believes the death of a bomb-maker foiled a militant plan to launch Easter attacks on the southern island of Mindanao, a senior intelligence official said on Saturday.The small militant group Abu Sayyaf, blamed for a ferry bombing in February 2004 that killed more than 100 people, was believed to have been plotting to launch bomb attacks in Zamboanga City. "We were just days from a possible bomb attack when security forces killed the supposed bomb-maker," said an official of the police counter terrorism task force, who declined to be identified. "We believed that we have pre-empted a major terrorist strike."
He said security forces killed Amilhamja Ajijul, alias Alex Alvarez, and a companion in a gun battle 10 days ago in Zamboanga City, where about 200 U.S. commandos are based to help local units fight home-grown militants. Ajijul, an Abu Sayyaf bomb-maker on Washington's terror black list, was blamed for three attacks in Zamboanga City in October 2002 that killed dozens, including a member of the U.S. Green Berets.
Citing intelligence reports, the official said Ajijul was preparing for an attack funded by Indonesians Dulmatin and Umar Patek, key suspects in the October 2002 Bali bombings, before he was gunned down.