Intelligence source IDs suspected Malaysian ISIS supporter

From InterAksyon (Sep 27): Intelligence source IDs suspected Malaysian ISIS supporter



Pokemon's handout photo of person purported to be Amin Baco (Abu Jihad).

A source from the military intelligence community identified over the weekend a Malaysian member of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) as one of the alleged ardent local-based sympathizers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

ISIS has seized control of huge territories in the Middle East.

The Manila-based intelligence source, who uses the code name "Pokemon" identified the suspected person as Amin Baco.

"The Malaysian Amin Baco or Abu Jihad has been in the country for a long period," Pokemon said, adding that this same person "had been involved in past bombing incidents in Basilan and Sulu."

Pokemon showed a photo of Baco or Abu Jihad and a flow chart of the structure of the Al Khilafa Movement (KIM), along with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which has reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Aside from ASG and KIM, another militant group that has allegedly pledged support to ISIS is the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The same source said Khilafa is an Arabic word, which translates in English to mean Caliphate, in which everybody is considered under the Islamic Jurisprudence perspective in their worldly benefits and interest.

Pokemon said Abu Jihad’s photo, as well as the flow chart, was extracted from the mobile phone of an ASG member recently killed in the fighting with government security forces in Sulu.

In the photograph, Abu Jihad can be seen holding a pistol on his right hand and a dagger on his left hand, with a black flag on the background and Arabic markingss and a black shirt brandishing the words "I love Islam."

Pokemon added that government security agencies "are basically correct in saying that there's no IS member from Syria who is presently here in the country, but the idea of establishing an Islamic caliphate is already here."

He added that Amin Buco (Abu Jihad) is one of five JI members believed to be hiding under the protection of the ASG, which recently threatened to decapitate one of two German tourists that the group had been holding hostage since end of April.

Pokemon said that the ASG "might" carry out the threat to kill the Germans as a show of sympathy to the ISIS organization that has already beheaded an American, British and French journalists in the past weeks.

The beheading of the three news reporters was apparently the ISIS reprisal against the US, France and Britain, that have launched counter-airstrikes.

"The ASG is a known supporter of ISIS. They could have already pledged allegiance to ISIS, and one reason they decided to threaten the German hostages is so that they would be noticed,” Pokemon said.

Being held hostage by the ASG are Stefan Victor Okonek, 70 and Herike Diesen 55. They were seized by heavily armed gunmen on April 30 this year while sailing off the southern portion of Palawan.

The two were taken away by heavily armed ASG bandits while on their way to Sabah, Malaysia from Palawan in late April this year.

Last month, Pokemon shared a photograph of the two foreigners being surrounded by heavily armed members of the ASG with the two hostages holding a German flag.

Last Friday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Information Officer, Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, told defense reporters that there is no validated information received so far about any ongoing recruitment by ISIS in the Philippines.

"We consider information as accurate only if it is validated. So far, there have been no reports or names of Filipinos revealed to be in the Middle East fighting for ISIS. Nor is there any indication of recruitment activity here in the Philippines," Zagala had said.

Zagala added that the military "will coordinate, if need be, with all sources so that the information on ISIS recruitment could be processed and validated."

The latest to confirm the alleged recruitment efforts of ISIS was Mayor Joel Maturan of Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan, a bailiwick of the Abu Sayyaf.

Davao City Mayor Eduardo Duterte also earlier said there were Muslim fighters recruited from his city who left for the Middle East in July, ostensibly to fight under the jihadist banner.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said of the report of Mayor Maturan: "We have not had any confirmation on this."

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/96244/intelligence-source-ids-suspected-malaysian-isis-supporter