Philippines DOD Reports "Improved Sophistication” In Bombs
Philippines Department of Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. sounded the alarm on what he said was the “improved sophistication” achieved by Abu Sayyaf militants and their allies from Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in making explosive devices.
On Friday, Cruz said bombs seized recently from terrorist lairs in Sulu “show a capability heretofore unseen among local terrorist groups” and bore “close similarities to improvised bombs being used in the Middle East and Afghanistan."
The seizure of the bombs and of a 600-kilo shipment of ammonium nitrate in Zamboanga City, said Cruz, may have thwarted a "potentially lethal terrorist bombing campaign."
Police seized the ammonium nitrate in two dozen sacks falsely declared as dried fish on Monday. Normally used as fertilizer, ammonium nitrate is also an explosive material.
The explosive devices were seized from what the military described as a “bomb-making factory” overrun by troops who launched a still continuing US-backed operation on August 1 to capture Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and Indonesian JI operatives Umar Patek and Dulmatin, allegedly responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people.
One of the seized explosive devices had a timing device and electronic anti-tampering sensors, Cruz said.
Packed with hundreds of eight-millimeter ball bearings, the bomb, he said, was “designed to kill anyone within a 150-meter kill zone” yet strong enough to kill and maim within a one-kilometer radius.
Another device, found inside a plastic bottle, could indicate that the terrorists have achieved the capacity to produce liquid bombs, Cruz said. Diagrams for the bomb were sketched on the bottle, he said.
"Notably the recovered improvised bombs indicate improved sophistication in the terrorists' bomb-making capability," Cruz added.
Some forms of progress are just not good.
"Terrorism is a scourge being spread by an unseen enemy, who has the ability to melt into our communities and hide among law-abiding citizens," Cruz said.
Others are.
Labels: Avelino Cruz Jr., JI, Philippines, Terrorism
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