'MILF played key role in training JI militants'<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Singapore<\/p>\n
The Philippines' main Moro separatist group, the Moro Islamic
\nLiberation Front (MILF), played a key role in training militants
\nfrom the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) at their guerrilla base on
\nMindanao island, Singapore said in an official report.<\/p>\n
The training was carried out at Camp Abu Bakar, a sprawling
\nMILF base in the main southern island of Mindanao which was
\ncaptured by Filipino troops a few years back.<\/p>\n
\"Cooperation between the JI and the MILF is most evident in
\ntraining,\" Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a White
\nPaper on the Southeast Asia-based JI militant group released on
\nlate Thursday.<\/p>\n
It said that \"sometime in 1997, MILF allowed JI to set up its
\nown training facility within Camp Abu Bakar.\"<\/p>\n
The facility was called Camp Hudaybiyya and was run by
\nIndonesian members of the JI, which Singapore said plotted to
\nblow up American and other targets in the city-state.<\/p>\n
\"Training within this camp ranged from the basic to more
\nspecialized training in explosives-handling. Several of the
\nSingaporean JI members arrested had learnt to handle revolvers
\nand M16 rifles in this camp,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Camp Hudaybiyya \"was specially reserved for JI training only
\nand was closed to the rest of the trainees\" of the MILF.<\/p>\n
An Indonesian member of the JI, Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, who
\nhelped procure explosives to be used for the suicide bomb attacks
\nin Singapore, has been identified as a \"demolitions\" expert of
\nthe MILF. He has been jailed in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
The MILF has been waging a separatist struggle for an
\nindependent Moro state in Mindanao for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n
Camp Abu Bakar covers several towns and villages in central
\nMindanao many of which are populated by the guerrillas and their
\nfamilies.<\/p>\n
Before its capture by Filipino troops in 2000, the MILF
\nimposed strict Islamic law in the villages covered by their camp
\nand boasted of a military school, a prison and a weapons
\nmanufacturing facility, among others.<\/p>\n
Manila has rejected demands by the MILF for the government to
\nrecognize these camps as rebel territory as part of peace talks.<\/p>\n
According to the White Paper, three of 31 suspected JI members
\ndetained in Singapore had taken an \"oath of allegiance\" before
\nMILF chieftain Hashim Salamat and helped raise funds for the
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
The Singaporeans, Husin Aziz, Zulkifli Jaffar and Habibullah
\nHameed also \"received military training by the MILF, performed
\nsentry duty at Camp Abu Bakar to guard against attacks by the
\nPhilippine Army and also helped MILF to purchase materials for
\nmaking explosives.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/milf-played-key-role-in-training-ji-militants-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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