Manila: A Filipino bomb expert from the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group, who is thought to have carried out a deadly attack on Manila in 2000 was arrested Thursday in the southern Philippines, police said.
Philippine Marines patrol a village in Patikul Jolo island, 2006. A Filipino bomb expert from the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group, who is thought to have carried out a deadly attack on Manila in 2000 was arrested Thursday in the southern Philippines.
Ansar Venancio, described by the government as "a high value target" was arrested by government intelligence agents in Marawi city, the Islamic heartland of southern Mindanao island, police said.
A statement said Venancio was involved in the December 30, 2000 bombing of a commuter train in Manila that killed 22 people, as well as the 2003 attack on an international airport in southern Davao city, which left 21 people dead.
"His capture in Marawi city is a big blow to the... JI in Mindanao," the police statement said.
"The arrested JI member was believed to be conducting terroristic training in the areas of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte when arrested," it said, referring to two Mindanao provinces.
The Indonesia-based JI is blamed for the 2002 nightclub bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, many of whom were tourists.
Dozens of JI foreign militants are believed to be hiding out in Mindanao island with the help of homegrown Islamic armed groups, including the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the smaller Abu Sayyaf.
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