Suspected JI bomber killed in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Authorities foiled a bombing attempt by a suspected Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant who was killed by the police here Friday.

City police chief Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa said Mohammad Noor Fikrie bin Abdul Kahar was shot by responding lawmen after the suspect threatened to explode a bomb with his cellphone.

Fikrie, a Malaysian national, was said to be among those monitored by the intelligence community to be among the JI militants operating in southern Philippines.

Police said Fikrie and his Filipina wife, Annabelle Nieva Lee, checked in at room 204 of the Sampaguita Inn in this city at around 7 p.m. Friday.

When they checked out of the motel several hours later, the couple found themselves surrounded by policemen and operatives of Task Force Davao and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

In an attempt to keep the policemen at a distance, Fikrie reportedly drew out his cellphone and declared, “If you arrest or shoot me, I have a bomb that will explode if you come near.”

Fikrie reportedly said his wife is carrying an improvised explosive device inside her backpack.

Fikrie then brought his wife outside of the hotel and grabbed the backpack from her before he ran to the nearby People’s Park, with the police inpursuit.

Policemen finally cornered Fikrie in front of an eatery and he was shot by a police SWAT operative.

De la Rosa said personnel of the explosive and ordnance division immediately diffused the bomb while Fikrie’s cellular phone and other items inside the black backpack were turned over to the NICA officials.

Lee, on the other hand, was arrested and held for further questioning.