Members of the Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf have trained in scuba diving to prepare for possible seaborne terror attacks outside the country, the Philippine military said Thursday, citing the interrogation of a captured guerrilla. The al-Qaida-linked militants also received at least $18,500 over the past year from suspected members of the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah for explosives training, according to a report on the interrogation of Gamal Baharan, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Baharan, 35, also said that an Abu Sayyaf leader still at large, Khadaffi Janjalani, claimed to speak directly with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden via satellite phone, according to the report. Baharan is one of three suspects captured and charged last month for bomb attacks that killed eight people and wounded more than 100 on Feb. 14 in Manila and two southern cities. Abu Sayyaf said it launched the attacks to retaliate for military assaults on Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.