RP military warns JI planning attacks

RP military warns JI planning attacks

PHILIPPINES: The Philippine military warned on Friday that the regional Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) group was planning to launch fresh attacks in the country with the help of local Muslim separatist rebels.

According to an intelligence report, at least 15 members of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been identified as the local contacts of 33 JI militants still operating in the southern region of Mindanao.

Three of the MILF rebels have been arrested separately in April and October 2004 for their alleged involvement in bomb attacks, the report said.

The military warned that the JI militants were planning terror attacks with the help of these MILF members.

"They have standing plans to launch terrorist activities in key urban areas in Mindanao," the intelligence report said.

"Apparently, as part of the said plan, an unidentified MILF instructor and three Indonesian JI bomb experts reportedly supervised the training of MILF recruits in the conduct of guerrilla operations and the mass production of homemade bombs," it added. --DPA