ZAMBOANGA CITY: Philippine authorities arrested four suspected Filipino terrorists in separate operations in Mindanao, officials said Tuesday.

Police said it is still investigating the men if they are members of the Abu Sayyaf group tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.

Three of those arrested were said to be behind a bomb attack last month in Zamboanga City that injured 16 people.

The men, Marjuni Amala, Aristalon Isniril and Ronely Ahman, were arrested on Tuesday. They admitted planting the bomb under a concrete bench at a public square called Plaza Pershing in downtown Zamboanga on August 21. They left behind the explosive under the bench where it was detonated.

The three men said they were recruited by a man named Omar Amping to bomb a police SWAT van, but backed out because of tight security.

It was unknown whether the man was the same Omar Amping, who is wanted by authorities for the string of killings in Zamboanga City.

Paraded by policemen in Zamboanga City, the trio said they were paid P1,000 to carry out the bombing.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat also offered P200,000 bounty for the capture of Amping.

In General Santos City, security forces also arrested a suspected terrorist and seized from him two home­made bombs.

The man, police said, was planning to bomb the KCC Mall on Tuesday to coincide with the commemoration of the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks in the United States. Police suspects that the man, Maipasagi Gani, has ties with Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf.

Source: Manilatimes Online
By Al Jacinto Correspondent

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