Posted on 05/06/2004 3:13:11 PM PDT by knighthawk
Philippine security forces have uncovered a cell of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) regional terror group linked to Al Qaeda and have arrested a suspected member, Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita says.
With general elections set for Monday, the police and army have sent thousands of reinforcements to Manila.
Security forces are on high alert across the country as officials cite concerns that militants may be planning attacks to disrupt the polls.
In a statement, the Government says the anti-terror task force is "able to trace the trail of a $US25,000 remittance to JI operatives in the Philippines from the international terrorist group, the Al Qaeda".
Mr Ermita says a 46-year-old Muslim man arrested on the southern island of Mindanao is believed to have received the $25,000 from Osama bin Laden's network.
The Government suspects JI, blamed for the 2002 Bali bombing, of using Mindanao as a training base.
Some analysts believe the southern islands could become a training base for Islamic fundamentalists and radicals just as Afghanistan did after the Taliban came to power.
Security forces arrested six militants at the end of March who President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said were plotting major bomb attacks in the capital.
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