Suspects in bomb found near U.S. embassy wanted to impress Islamic State
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Police secure suspected bombers, Jiaher Guinar, center left, and Rashid Kilala, center right, as they are presented to reporters at police headquarters in Quezon city, north of Manila,
MANILA >> Philippine police officials have captured two local sympathizers of the Islamic State group who allegedly tried to detonate a bomb near the U.S. Embassy and prompted authorities to raise a terror alert.
National police chief Director-General Ronald de la Rosa said Thursday the two militants, who were separately arrested on Wednesday, initially wanted but failed to detonate the homemade bomb at Manila’s seaside Rizal Park, their initial target.
The bomb, which was designed to explode remotely with the use of a cellphone, also failed to explode near the embassy on Nov. 28 in Manila’s tourist and diplomatic section.
Police presented the handcuffed suspects at a news conference, where they also announced a terror alert, which means more road security checkpoints would be set up, and possibly more raids on suspected militant hideouts.
“Don’t get alarmed but stay alert,” dela Rosa said.
The militants, Rashid Kilala and Jiaher Guinar, belonged to a small Muslim militant group called Ansar Al-khilafa Philippines. After failing to set off the bomb, which was made from an 81mm mortar round, the two decided to leave the explosive in a trash bin near the U.S. Embassy but again failed to set it off.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
They wanted to impress the Islamic State group and secure possible funding from the Middle East-based terrorist group, dela Rosa said. They also wanted to divert the military’s focus from an offensive against fellow Muslim militants in the south, he said.
15 responses to “Suspects in bomb found near U.S. embassy wanted to impress Islamic State”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hopefully Duterte swiftly executes them to send a message.
ISIS has nothing but contempt for them. Sad display of stupidity.
Waterboard.
Duerte doesn’t use water board, he uses guns.
Mental trait shown by these terrorist are similar to dissenter groups in the Americas and elsewhere. Imbecilic and juvenile!
Dissent is one thing — an essential good in a democracy. Setting bombs intended to kill people at random — tourists, bystanders, etc. is another. I’m just glad that these losers were so inept !
Sounds more like the ISIS minor league squad trying to get into the action.
“The bomb, which was designed to explode with the use of a cellphone…” Was it a Samsung 7? Tried to impress the Islamic State. You guys failed and got caught. You think the Islamic State will bail you out? They laughing at you guys. Good thing you guys are “failures.” Come on Duterte, get your military to get rid of all the militants there.
Is it me? Doesn’t that “Polis”officer on the Left,looks a lot like he could be President Obama Bro?
Maybe if Obama was Filipino and looked completely different, then, yes.
lol not even close
Barang Obama.
So these yokels, not only flubbed it but got ISIS blamed. They will go far in ISIS!
According to the headline, I’m wondering how those two suspects fit in the bomb?
I’m wondering if they’re going to do the pop to the cranium like South Vietnams Police chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan did in Saigon during the Tet offensive? Memba dat?