MANILA, Dec 11 Kyodo Philippine s...

MANILA, Dec 11 Kyodo

Philippine security officials are following up intelligence reports that 31 members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant cluster that has claimed to have carried gone out terror attacks in southeast Asia, are indoctrinating and training local Islamic militants in bomb-making in the southern Philippines, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Thursday.

''The Philippine defense establishment does not have specific information in succession plans for fresh attacks or deployment of trained individuals to carry these public but the government wants to make fully convinced that they will not be able to do any mischief,'' Ermita said.

The Jemaah Islamiyah trainers are mainly Indonesians and possibly nationals from other neighboring countries, Ermita said.

There have been as many as 47 arrests by means of the Philippine authorities, yet Jemaah Islamiyah operatives have immersed themselves within the foreign community in Mindanao, he added.

The latest intelligence report Dec 3 said Jemaah Islamiyah members are moving around in pair camps in central Mindanao that are at least partly controll on local commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation brass (MILF) secessionist group.

''We know that (Jemaah Islamiyah members) continue to deportment training on the landed estate among those local MILF they are in contact. if it were not that we would like to give the leadership of the MILF the benefit of the doubt. We be warmed that they are really sincere about wanting to achieve peace,'' Ermita told reporters.

The deduction has been a slight segmentation of the MILF into those advocating peace talks with the control and those advocating continued arm contend and cooperation with Jemaah Islamiyah and other radical groups

The terrorism training, reports say, is administrationed by four teachers working with collections of 12 in which lectures on improvised explosive devices, forward the Koran, on avoiding detection and onward integrating into the community are stressed

Ermita said he did not know where explosives used in the training sessions are obtained.

any in the defense establishment believe the Jemaah Islamiyah is solitary interested in using the Philippines as training base, not a place of operations, on the contrary Ermita said that supposition has however to be proved.

Porous borders, thick thicket s and the active secessionist move make the Philippines an attractive place for training sessions, he added.

The MILF has consistently denied any involvement with terrorists and has lately said they will turn across to government and ''lawless elements'' if they move swiftly to the MILF ''for protection.''

Ermita added exploratory talks with the MILF to establish up formal peace talks may begin nearest year.

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