Fundamentalist Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was sentenced to 30 months jail by Indonesian judges for allegedly giving help and approval to Amrozi for the October 2002 Bali bombings. He was recently released from prison.
Government troops attacked an Abu Sayyaf camp in the rebels' southern stronghold before dawn Tuesday, triggering a five-hour clash in which five of the al-Qaida-linked militants were killed and one government militiaman was wounded, the military said. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said one of the dead was identified as Ridwan Musa — an Abu Sayyaf commander linked to a string of kidnappings. The camp was in the village of Tuburan Proper on Basilan island, said Dolorfino, the regional military... Read Full Story
NewsBlaze Jemaah Islamiyah - Critical Discussion of Tactics and Threats NewsBlaze Their return to Indonesia would mark the start of their terror activities, which would culminate in the Bali bombings of 2002, an event for which they are ... Read Full Story
Survivors and relatives of the dead held a solemn memorial service Monday to mark the seventh anniversary of the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists. About 70 people held a joint prayer at the memorial on the site of the blasts in Kuta, Bali's main tourist strip where Islamist extremists detonated two bombs targeting packed night-spots in 2002. Memorial organiser Hayati Eka Laksmi, whose husband was killed in the blasts, said the service was an opportunity to "send... Read Full Story
One American soldier was killed and another was wounded in a landmine attack Tuesday by suspected al-Qaida-linked militants in the southern Philippines, military officials said. U.S. officials did not immediately comment on the blast. It was believed to be the first death of an American soldier caused by the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group since U.S. troops deployed to the southern Philippines to help combat militants in 2002. Three Philippine marines were also wounded in the blast on Jolo... Read Full Story
Attempts by government troops to arrest three militant leaders wanted by the Philippines and the United States on kidnapping and murder charges sparked clashes that left up to 17 rebels dead, officials said Monday. The fighting erupted Sunday when government forces cordoned off a village on Jolo island in the southern Philippines and tried to arrest the three Abu Sayyaf commanders. Some of the estimated 220 militants in the village fired on the soldiers and clashes ensued. Regional military... Read Full Story
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has been hit by a series of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on Islamist militants. Here is a brief look at major developments: _ August 2009 — A 16-hour siege at a farmhouse in central Java kills a hotel florist, Ibrohim, who allegedly helped carry out bomb attacks at two luxury hotels in Jakarta the previous month that killed seven and wounded more than 50. Police also fatally shoot two alleged militants and confiscate... Read Full Story
Clashes erupted Sunday in the southern Philippines when al-Qaida-linked militants resisted attempts by government forces to serve arrest warrants on three of their commanders. Maj. Ramon David Hontiveros, a regional military spokesman, said the militants fired at troops after they cordoned off part of a village on Jolo island where the three commanders and 220 militants were staying. A soldier was slightly injured. There were no immediate reports of rebel casualties. The hostilities broke... Read Full Story
The recent capture of a Filipino terror suspect long sought by American and Philippine security officials has crippled his violent al-Qaida-linked group believed to be responsible for one of Southeast Asia's deadliest terror attacks, police said Tuesday. Dinno-Amor Rosalejos Pareja, also known as Khalil Pareja, allegedly headed the Rajah Solaiman Movement that officials say was behind the 2004 Manila ferry bombing that killed 116 people in the country's worst terror attack. U.S. and... Read Full Story
Noordin Mohammad Top, an aspiring regional commander for al-Qaida who evaded capture for years until he was reportedly shot dead in a raid Saturday, has been linked to a series of bombings in Indonesia that killed 250 people. The manhunt for Southeast's Asia's most wanted militant escalated last month when twin suicide blasts killed seven at the Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta — ending a four-year lull in terrorism. Noordin has most notably has been... Read Full Story
Philippine police on Friday arrested the alleged leader of a radical Islamist group believed to be responsible for one of Southeast Asia's deadliest terror attacks. Dinno-Amor Rosalejos Pareja, also known as Khalil Pareja, was taken into custody in southern Marawi City and is being held without bail, said national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina. Other details of his arrest were not immediately available. He is accused of rebelling against the state. Pareja is... Read Full Story
