Sri Lankan suicide bombers now in PH?
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2019 09:40:18 +0000
The Armed Forces of the Philippines disclosed yesterday that it is validating reports about the supposed entry of two Sri Lankan suicide bombers in the country.
International media organization The Strait Times reported last Friday that two Sri Lankan terrorists managed to slip into the country “to train local militants on making bombs and attacking churches and other soft targets” in Luzon.
The suspects, Mark Kevin Samhoon and Victoria Sophia Sto. Domingo, were reportedly identified through a watchlist issued by the Manila International Airport. They reportedly have kin in the Philippines.
“We have to validate that report with other agencies of government. The information immediately available are reports coming from the media,” said Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson.
Arevalo said that they have already some information about the matter but he insisted they have to check them with other concerned government agencies.
A separate report has said Samhoon and Sto. Domingo have contacted a faction of local militants in Luzon to allegedly carry out suicide bombing missions.
Sto. Domingo allegedly arrived in the country in November 2018 while Samhoon followed in June of this year, according to reports.
Citing security expert Rommel Banlaoi, the Strait Times reported that Sto. Domingo was involved in the plotting of a bomb attack at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu in January, claiming the lives of 23 people and wounding over 10 others.
An Indonesian couple was later verified to be behind the said attack, according to the Indonesian police and the AFP.
A militant group called Suyuful Khilafa Fi Luzon, which was allegedly formed by remnants of the radical Rajah Sulaiman Islamic Movement, is said to be the group that will fulfill the missions through the aid of Samhoon and Sto. Domingo.
This development came several days after Arevalo denied that there is a planned terror attack in Northern Luzon when an alert memo issued to the intelligence units of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command was leaked in social media. (Martin Sadongdong)