Three suspected terrorists held in connection with bomb blast

Manila: Elite police troopers killed three suspected members of a terrorist hit squad and arrested three others in connection with a bomb attack outside a legislative building which left four people dead, including a congressman.

Police said the raid at Payatas resettlement area also yielded evidence purportedly showing the group was involved in Tuesday's deadly explosion outside the Batasan Pambansa (House of Representatives) buildings in Quezon City.

One of those killed in the Payatas raid was a woman.

"We believe there is a link between the suspects and the blast because of the items we have recovered," said National Capital Region police chief Director Geary Barias, one of the raiders wounded in the raid.

Barias identified one of those arrested as Ikram Indana and said police recovered a House of Representatives identification card which showed he was working in the office of Simeon Datumanong a Deputy Speaker for Mindanao. Datumanong denied knowing Indana.

"The suspect is not an employee in my office. I do not even know him. His ID could be issued before I became Deputy Speaker," said Datumanong.

Datumanong assumed his post after the newly elected House organised its leadership following the May elections. But his predecessor Gerry Salapuddin said Indana used to work for him as driver.

Police also seized a licence plate for a motorcycle as well as a deed of sale with a chassis number that matched that of the motorcycle used in the Batasan bombing that killed Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and three other people.

Police claimed more evidence recovered in the area showed their links to the attack, including residue of suspected bomb-making chemicals which was found after a dog from a canine unit detected traces of chemicals in a car.

Reward

Police said the investigators received a tip on the location of the suspects after President Gloria Arroyo's office announced a five million pesos (Dh420,180) reward for information that could lead police to the attackers.

Superintendent Constante Agpaoa, station six commander, said a jacket found in the house was relevant because two men aboard two motorcycles seen fleeing from the Batasan complex were wearing similar outfits.

President Arroyo hailed the police raid.

Those killed were identified as Pakir Said, alias Abu Jandal, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf, Redwan Indama, and his wife identified only as Saing.

Police went to Payatas to a serve an arrest warrant to one of the suspects for a different case but the agents were met with gun fire en route to the house.

They said the dead were closely linked with the Abu Sayyaf Group. But he added they could be freelancing as gun-for-hire assassins.