Saudi man with IS links held

COTABATO CITY MANILA, Philippines — A Saudi man suspected to have links with the Islamic State (IS) was arrested in this city on Wednesday.

Abdel Solaiman Alsuhibani, 60, did not resist when served an arrest warrant at his residence in Barangay Balabaran, Brig. Gen. Samuel Rodriguez of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police said.

Sultan Kudarat Regional Trial Court Branch 19 Judge Allan Edwin Boncavil issued the warrant.

A report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said Alsuhibani is the facilitator of the IS in Eastern Asia and has access to local IS sub-leaders Esmael Abdulmalik and Salahuddin Hassan.

Rodriguez said bomb materials, a laptop and mobile phones with numbers of the suspect’s alleged contacts with the Dawlah Islamiya were seized from the suspect.

Alsubihani’s wife Norhaya denied allegations that her husband has links with a terrorist group, saying he is a peace-loving Saudi Arabian citizen engaged in moneylending. – Emmanuel Tupas