MANILA, Philippines - Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (ISAFP) chief Major Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo said that five
members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) are providing bomb-making and
marksmanship training to lawless elements in Central Mindanao.
Ordoyo said that the AFP strictly monitors the movements of the five to prevent the latter from disappearing in their sights.
He declined to give the specific place where the five JI members are conducting their training sessions.
The ISAFP chief said that the five's presence in the country could be attributed to the Philippines' enormous and porous maritime borders and ability of the JI operatives to mingle with the local populace and speak the language.
As this develops, Ordoyo also maintained that Malaysian extremist Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias "Marwan" was killed in the airstrike in Jolo last February along with two other terrorists.
He said that until sectors claiming "Marwan" is alive could present "proof of life" evidence, the military would list the terrorist as dead.
A Malaysian counter-terror official earlier claimed that "Marwan" is still alive albeit badly wounded and hiding in Jolo.
"We believe Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias 'Marwan', is still alive," Malaysian counter-terrorist official Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said.
Meanwhile, the AFP believed that the five foreigners who were earlier kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in mainland Mindanao were no longer in Basilan but instead were being held captive in Sulu.
They are Richard Warren Rodwell, 53, an Australian national, who was forcibly taken from his house in Barangay Pangi in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Dec. 4, 2011; Birdwatchers Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, and Dutchman Ewold Horn, 52, who were abducted on Feb. 1 in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi; Japanese national Toshio Ito, 63, who was abducted in Pangutaran, Sulu, while on a treasure hunt on July 16, 2010, and Biju Kolara Veettil, 36, an Indian national kidnapped in Patikul, Sulu, while visiting his Filipino in-laws on June 22, 2011.
Ordoyo said that the AFP strictly monitors the movements of the five to prevent the latter from disappearing in their sights.
He declined to give the specific place where the five JI members are conducting their training sessions.
The ISAFP chief said that the five's presence in the country could be attributed to the Philippines' enormous and porous maritime borders and ability of the JI operatives to mingle with the local populace and speak the language.
As this develops, Ordoyo also maintained that Malaysian extremist Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias "Marwan" was killed in the airstrike in Jolo last February along with two other terrorists.
He said that until sectors claiming "Marwan" is alive could present "proof of life" evidence, the military would list the terrorist as dead.
A Malaysian counter-terror official earlier claimed that "Marwan" is still alive albeit badly wounded and hiding in Jolo.
"We believe Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias 'Marwan', is still alive," Malaysian counter-terrorist official Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said.
Meanwhile, the AFP believed that the five foreigners who were earlier kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in mainland Mindanao were no longer in Basilan but instead were being held captive in Sulu.
They are Richard Warren Rodwell, 53, an Australian national, who was forcibly taken from his house in Barangay Pangi in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Dec. 4, 2011; Birdwatchers Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, and Dutchman Ewold Horn, 52, who were abducted on Feb. 1 in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi; Japanese national Toshio Ito, 63, who was abducted in Pangutaran, Sulu, while on a treasure hunt on July 16, 2010, and Biju Kolara Veettil, 36, an Indian national kidnapped in Patikul, Sulu, while visiting his Filipino in-laws on June 22, 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/InterAksyon.Com | May 23, 2012 | Article Link
No comments:
Post a Comment