Moros on alert to bar members of Jemaah

The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has alerted its forces to bar entry to Mindanao of members of the Al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in a bid to show its commitment to the ongoing peace negotiations with the government.

MILF Chairman Al Haj Ebrahim Murad has issued an order directing its members to be vigilant over JI militants, which claimed responsibility for last week's bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Indonesia.

The JI claimed responsibility for the recent Australian embassy attack in Indonesia and said it decided to call into account Australia, which it considers 'one of the worst enemies of God.'

The JI were also blamed for the bombings in JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta which killed at least 12 people a year ago. "Our move is part of our sincerity in the peace talks with the Philippine government," said Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman.

"We already told our men in the field to monitor possible (presence of) members of the JI in their respective areas. But so far, we have not discovered any of them," he added. The MILF alerted its members against JI following reports that some of JI militants involved in the bombing would be hiding in Mindanao. Filipino military officials claimed that about 30 to 40 JI militants are undergoing training in Cararao, a mountainous border of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces.