Once again exposing the falsity of assumptions that these are just nationalistic struggles clothed in religious rhetoric. “Reports: Filipino, Indonesian militants collaborating on new attacks,” from AP, with thanks to Scaramouche:
Muslim militants in the Abu Sayyaf group in the Philippines and their Indonesian allies have been trying to solicit money from unidentified Middle Eastern financiers to buy weapons and fund new terror attacks, according to government reports.
Details of the fund-raising effort and planned attacks were obtained by Philippine security officials from Indonesian counterparts, who recently captured two suspected militants with knowledge of Filipino rebel activities, the reports said.
Copies of the reports, which summarized intelligence relayed by Indonesian authorities, were seen by The Associated Press on Friday.
The captured militants in Indonesia – Abdullah Sunata, allegedly the head of a group called Kompak in Ambon, and Encen Kurnia, who reportedly belongs to Negara Islam Indonesia – were among 15 suspected militants captured by the Indonesian police during an anti-insurgency sweep from June to July, the reports said.
Four of the 15, including Sunata and Kurnia, had received military training in southern Philippine rebel camps. The two later helped organize covert training and escort Indonesian recruits from their country to the southern region of Mindanao, according to the reports.
In letters found by Indonesian authorities, Sunata separately discussed with two compatriots hiding in the Philippines – Umar Patek and Pitono or Dulmatin – the fund-raising campaign and planned attacks in the Philippines as well as efforts to obtain explosives in the country for an unspecified attack in Indonesia, the reports said.