Security forces hunt militants planning to bomb Manila

Manila: Philippine security forces are hunting two Islamist militants suspected of plotting attacks in the capital after a series of bombings in the south, the commander of military forces in Manila said yesterday.

Three people were wounded on Sunday when a powerful blast rocked a national police camp on the southwestern island of Jolo, hours after a bomb went off at a public market on nearby Mindanao island without causing any casualties.

The attacks came after seven people were killed and more than 30 wounded in explosions on Mindanao last week, raising fears that Manila would be the next target ahead of a religious holiday in the mainly Roman Catholic country on November 1.

"We're focusing on two personalities who have the capability to prepare bombs," Brigadier-General Ben Dolorfino told reporters after inspecting a US-trained counter-terrorism army unit at the main military base in Manila.

"Right now, we learned there was a plan to explode bombs in the capital, so we're now looking for the people that may likely carry out the attacks."

He said two members of the Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement, a group of converts from Catholicism, were hiding near Manila.

Trained by militants from Indonesia, they were preparing to strike at targets such as shopping malls, transport systems and other public areas, Dolorfino said. Security officials say the Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement has close ties with Abu Sayyaf, the most violent of four Islamist militant groups in the southern Philippines, and with the Southeast Asian regional network Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

All three groups were blamed for the country's worst terrorist attack the 2004 bombing of a ferry near Manila that killed more than 100 people.

Indonesian connection

Separately, police filed murder charges yesterday against two Indonesian militants, Umar Patek and Dulmatin, who have been hiding with the Abu Sayyaf in the south since last year.

The Indonesians, suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings, were accused of plotting and funding last week's attacks on Mindanao.

About 6,000 soldiers have been searching for Dulmatin and Umar Patek on Jolo since August but with little success due to the island's rugged terrain and protection from residents with strong blood ties to local rebels.

US troops begin two weeks of war drills

Thousands of US troops began two weeks of war drills with Philippine soldiers, starting with a helicopter-borne raid, as a series of bombings by Al Qaida-linked militants put authorities on the highest alert, officials said yesterday.

About 5,700 US Marines from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa, Japan, and sailors from the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group in Sasebo, Japan, were taking part alongside 1,300 Filipino soldiers.

US and Philippine military officials yesterday held an opening ceremony for the exercises, which will include live-fire drills and air, ground and naval manoeuvres in the northern and southwestern Philippines.

In one of the first exercises on Sunday, Philippine troops watched US Marines aboard CH-53 helicopters insert a team to capture a high-value individual hiding in a building a scenario that has been put to use during operations in the southern Philippines.

"What we try to do here is make the training as realistic as possible," said US Marine Sgt. Levi Konz, a Special Operations Training Group instructor.

Philippine airmen also took part in simulated first-aid training. "We have been able to see how Marines attack with helicopters, clear buildings and secure their injured," said Philippine air force Capt. Maynard Mariano. "It has been a very rewarding experience."