Wife of Malaysian terror suspect faces charge

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine police have filed a complaint for illegal possession of explosives against the Filipino wife of a suspected Malaysian terrorist, who was killed by snipers while threatening to detonate a powerful bomb in the country's restive south, an official said Sunday.

Police Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa said authorities filed the complaint before a prosecutor's office last week against Anabelle Nieva Lee. She is alleged to have helped carry a backpack with a 60mm mortar bomb that her Malaysian husband, Mohammad Noor Fikrie Bin Abd Kahar, threatened to set off on Dec. 14 in the bustling port city of Davao.

Government prosecutors will now decide if a formal criminal charge should be laid.

Fikrie, 26, was killed before he could detonate the bomb near a public park. His Filipino wife remains in detention and continues to be interrogated, dela Rosa said.

Army and police agents tracked Fikrie to a cheap hotel in Davao city after months of surveillance. Police moved in on the couple after receiving tips that Muslim militants were planning to launch bomb attacks in Davao and other cities, police said.

Police suspected Fikrie may have targeted a Roman Catholic church or foreign aid workers who use Davao, a regional gateway about 980 kilometers (610 miles) south of Manila, as a base to help nearby typhoon-devastated provinces.

Police allege Fikrie was a Middle East-trained bomb-making expert and close associate of fellow Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, one of Southeast Asia's most-wanted terror suspects.