AFP chief: Mindanao under ‘extreme critical’ terror alert

Military forces in southern Philippines were placed on "extreme" alert yesterday, expecting further terror attacks from what security officials declared to be part of retaliatory strikes from Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants and Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said he placed all troops on alert level 4 following intelligence reports that the al-Qaeda-linked militants would launch further terror strikes in key cities in Mindanao.

"We have retained alert level No. 4 in Mindanao, which is extreme critical alert. This is dictated by known groups and their known capabilities to sow terrorist activities," Esperon said.

Almost 60,000 troops are now on operational duty in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.

Following the declaration of extreme alert, Malacañang called on the public to remain calm and vigilant.

Raising the alert level to "extreme" means the government is bracing for more terror attacks. The highest alert level came in the wake of the bombing attacks in Mindanao that had left six people dead and 29 wounded since Tuesday.

Security officials noted the spate of bomb attacks came following the capture of Istiada Binti Oemar Sovie, wife of JI militant Dulmatin who is wanted for the October 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia, that killed more than 200 people.

Esperon declared the attacks were part of retaliatory strikes staged by the JI and the Abu Sayyaf after the capture of Sovie.

Dulmatin’s wife was arrested last week and, under questioning, confirmed intelligence information that Abu Sayyaf bandits and the JI are plotting to hit more targets in the coming days.

The military said the bombs that exploded this week, including one that killed six people in Makilala, North Cotabato last Tuesday, were set off by mobile phone, an indication that Dulmatin, one of Asia’s most wanted terror suspects, was behind the attack.

Esperon said the military is closely monitoring some areas in Mindanao, particularly the towns and cities that have suffered terror attacks in the past.

Esperon said more road blocks would be put up in the south and intelligence gathering would be intensified.

The extreme alert level, Esperon explained, does not rule out a target is 100 percent secure from terrorist attacks. He said the extreme alert level means the implementation of stricter measures to prevent terror strikes as much as possible.

He added the massive manhunt operation for Dulmatin and another JI militant, Umar Patek would continue.

Both Indonesians have been the focus of military offensives in Sulu after they were given refuge by Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani.

That operation alone, under "Oplan Ultimatum" has tied up more than 5,000 troops in dense jungle, seeking an estimated 200 militants.

Officials said the bombings might have been carried out to divert the military offensives against the JI and the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

Esperon said Abu Sayyaf’s strength had dwindled to about 420 members from a high of more than 1,000 in 2000.

He claimed the JI has around 30 members, mostly hiding in the dense jungles of central Mindanao.

"But during the course of interrogation on Sovie (Dulmatin’s wife), she was able to name eight of them," he added.

Esperon also declared Metro Manila is still under "moderate" alert level, on the possibility that the terror strikes in Mindanao could spill over the country’s capital.

‘Keep calm’

Malacañang has called on the public to remain calm and vigilant.

"We must keep alert but calm and sober in the face of these renewed bombings," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

"Even as security is being beefed up in all potential targets, we all know that the most important linchpin in the fight against terror is the vigilance of the people themselves," Bunye said.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said the public should take the highest alert level system seriously.

He said the alert levels should remind the people and concerned sectors to be vigilant and take extra precaution because of the terror threats.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the threats of terror attacks are "as severe as ever."

Puno called for the activation of civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) to help the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its campaign against terror. — With John Unson, Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP, AP