Suspected Abu Sayyaf bomb expert captured in S. Philippines

Philippine security forces seized a suspected bomb expert of terrorist Abu Sayyaf group during a raid on Saturday in Philippine southern port city of Zamboanga, police said Sunday.

The bomb expert, Nujir Ahidji Alias Abu Jomar, who is a native of Jolo in Sulu province, was arrested by the intelligence unit of the joint police and military forces during a raid in his safehouse in Southcom Village on Saturday morning, according to Joseph Ortega, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9.

Ortega said the raid was conducted with a search warrant issued by the local court against a certain Ustadz Hassan and a certain Jomar.

The police recovered from the suspect blasting caps, cut tapes, pieces of wirings among other devices.

The police launched the raid following the surveillance and intelligence reports of bombing threat in this city by the Abu Sayyaf group.