‘Deportation of JI wife won’t ease terror threat’

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military warned the public yesterday that the deportation of the wife of a top Indonesian terrorist will not ease threats of terror attacks by local and foreign extremists.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered Wednesday the summary deportation to Indonesia of Istiada Oemar Sovie alias Amenah Tohe, wife of bomb expert Dulmatin, who with fellow Indonesian Umar Patek, is wanted for the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people.

Sovie, with her two sons Edar, 6, and Alih, 8, was captured Oct. 3 in Patikul, Sulu by government troops conducting operations against Abu Sayyaf bandits. The bandits, led by Khadaffy Janjalani, are believed to be protecting Dulmatin and Patek, both members of the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah. They have been hiding in the Philippines since 2003.

Dulmatin warned of terror attacks in retaliation for the capture of his wife and sons.

Military authorities in Central Mindanao believe that the bomb attacks in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, Makilala in North Cotabato, and Cotabato City last Oct. 12 and 13 were conducted by suspected JI and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in retaliation for the arrest of Sovie. Ten people died after the bomb attacks.

Capt. Noel Abello, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the threats of attacks will remain even with the deportation of Sovie and her sons.

"As long as the high value targets (Dulmatin and Patek) are still in the area, the (terror) threat remains," Abello said.

Abello said Dulmatin and Patek are still believed to be hiding in the jungles of Sulu.

Abello said the continued military custody of Sovie is an advantage to government forces due to the information being provided by Dulmatin’s wife.

Sovie told the military that Dulmatin and Patek went to the Philippines because the country is a prime target for terrorist attacks because the government supported the war on terror declared by the United States after Sept. 11, 2001.

Sovie told interrogators that aside from Dulmatin and Patek, six other foreign terrorists have slipped into the country through the Indonesia-Philippines border also known as the southern back door.

She identified the terrorists as a certain Manobo, a Singaporean; Malaysian Ahmad, Indonesians Agha, Karim, Bahar and Zae.