Last night in Davao City: JI Bomber shot and killed by SWAT

Policemen of the Davao City Police, shot and killed yesterday night (Friday, December 14) a suspected suicide bomber who is an alleged member of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The extremist's Filipina wife was arrested.

According to the media, Senior Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa, city police chief, said that they received initial information from a reliable source that an alleged JI member, known as the Malaysian Mohd Noor Fikrie Bin Abd Kahar and his Filipina wife, a Sorsogon native and a “balik Islam” named Anabelle Nieva Lee, checked in at the Sampaguita Hotel at Room 204 at the corner of Camus street and Quirino street at 7 p.m evening.

Further in the reports, an improvised explosive device (IED) was said to be in their possession. Negotiations were undertaking between the police under Dela Rosa and the hotel management for the arrest of the two suspects who most probably planned an attack in the downtown area of Davao City.

At 10:30 p.m., Kahar checked our with his wife of the said hotel. A confrontation took place in the hotel lobby between members of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the couple. Fikrie's wife was wearing a black backpack containing the suspected improvised explosive device IED bomb.

With no sign of surrender to the authorities, Kahar raised a cellphone as the triggering device, saying: "If you arrest or shoot me, I have a bomb, I will explode it!" as quoted by the media.

This moment prompted everyone to clear the area and look for a safety spot, while the couple, embracing each other, walked out of the hotel. To ensure their safety from police, Fikrie continued to hold the cellphone threatening to detonate the bomb anytime.

According to Dela Rosa, SWAT snipers received orders to take down the suspects, but it was difficult to execute the orders "since the area was overcrowded with pedestrians and motorists"he said.

Kahar took the backpack from his wife and escaped towards People's Park. The chase ended in front of the Apo View Hotel where he was shot and killed by SWAT team. His wife, Lee, is presently detained in the city for further investigation.

A 60mm mortar round improvised explosive device was successfully diffused. Background of the attempted bombing are not yet released. “But probably the suspects were from outside Davao City and were just sent here to plant the bomb,” so dela Rosa.