July 23, 2002, The Philippine Star, Two more Sayyaf bomb suspects nabbed, by Christina Mendez, John Paul Jubelag

July 23, 2002, The Philippine Star, Two more Sayyaf bomb suspects nabbed, by Christina Mendez, John Paul Jubelag

Two men hired by the Abu Sayyaf to carry out a series of deadly bombings in Mindanao have been captured after months of surveillance work, police reported yesterday. 

Abdulbasit Usman, 28, and Moamar Esmael, 25, who allegedly planted explosives in two branches of the Fitmart Mall in General Santos City, were arrested following separate raids conducted by joint police and military teams Sunday . 

Central Mindanao police chief Senior Superintendent Bartolome Baluyot said both men received orders from Mohammad Nur Umog, alias Abu Muslim al-Ghazie, a member of the Abu Sayyaf special operations group and alleged mastermind of the April 21 mall bombings that left 15 dead and 61 wounded. Umog was captured in Cotabato City last May 21. 

Usman, [do you mean "Umog" dumbbells?]  a former member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was a bomb expert who trained with terrorist cells in Afghanistan, police said. Prior to bombing the FitMart branch in General Santos City, he allegedly test-fired two home-made bombs near the airport in Barangay Uhaw in the same city. 

He was captured last Sunday at a safehouse located near the boundary of Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat and Ampatuan, Maguindanao. 

"We finally got him. It has been months since we started tracking down this terrorist. He offered no resistance when arrested," Baluyot said. 

Usman faces multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges for the mall bombing. 

The raiding team seized from his hideout a caliber .45 automatic, three 81-mm. mortar shells, improvised explosive devices, bomb-making materials and MILF documents. 

Baluyot said the suspect had been planning to launch a second wave of bombings. 

"We foiled what could have been another attack on government or civilian targets," he said. 

Esmael, the other suspected bomber, was arrested yesterday along the national highway in Calumpang, General Santos City. Like Usman, Esmael also received instructions from Umog to bomb a branch of the FitmartMall, this time in Pacurong. 

Both men are expected to be flown to Camp Crame tomorrow and will be presented to President Arroyo. – With AFP report