2 bomb suspects nabbed in Zambo

From The Standard (Mar 15): 2 bomb suspects nabbed in Zambo

 TWO suspected bombers, who were found in possession of a key ingredient in bomb-making, were arrested by combined security forces at a port in Zamboanga City Sunday night.

The authorities said they nabbed Allan Ajing Ajijun, 30, and Asbi Tandih Jama, 21, both residents of Zamboanga City, on Saturday at the Sangil Port and seized two kilos of ammonium nitrate, six improvised blasting caps and two time fuses.

This developed as Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar commended intelligence units from the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the arrest of the suspected and the seizure of the bomb component.

“I commended the intelligence communities, the Task Force Zamboanga and the Zamboanga City Police, but I also want to look deeper into identities and background of the suspects,” Salazar said.

Chief Insp. Rogelio Alabata, spokesman of the Zamboanga Peninsula regional police, said the suspect were caught by Naval Intelligence and Security Company, Marine Battalion Landing Team, Air Force Intelligence Special Group Field Station Western Mindanao and Naval Special Operation Unit.

Security forces in Mindanao has launched a wide-scale intelligence monitoring for potential bombing activities by local terrorist groups following reports that 100 Muslim recruits trained by foreign militants are out to conduct bombings in Mindanao.

The recruits are said to have been graduated from a clandestine school of bomb-making somewhere in Liguasan Marsh near Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat.

The recruits, sources said, were trained by Salahudin Hassan, a member of the Al-Khobar group supporting the Jemaah Islamiya, and Mumanda Ali, alias Mauwiya, a former military officer from Singapore, who became of JI leader responsible for the 2001 Bali, Indonesia bombing. He fled to Mindanao in 2002.

In January, Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, chief of Joint Task Group Sulu, has put his troops on red alert after six ASG recruits under terrorist sub-leader Majan Sajidjuan, alias Mike, out of a bombing mission were monitored roaming in Jolo.

Authorities in Zamboanga City declined to give specifics as to the targets of the suspected bombers when arrested.

The military has so far recovered 100 land mines laid by local terror groups in separate areas in the towns of Datu Salibo and Butig in Lanao del Sur, the scene of fierce fighting between Jordanian-trained militant group and army troops that left at least 52 rebels killed.

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