Singapore, Aug 03: Members of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror network "are actively plotting new acts of terrorism," said a cabinet minister in this wealthy South East Asian city-state. ``While we have detained most of Jemaah Islamiyah members in Singapore, the network has not been completely dismantled,'' said Lee Boon Yang, Singapore's minister for information, tourism and the arts.
``Jemaah Islamiyah members in the region are still actively plotting new acts of terrorism,'' he said. The announcement comes after Jemaah Islamiyah bomb expert Fathur Roman al-Ghozi and two other high-profile terror suspects escaped from a Philippines prison last month. He is accused of purchasing more than a ton of explosives in a plot to destroy the US Embassy, a US Navy facility and other western targets in Singapore.
Police in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are searching for al-Ghozi. Singapore, a close ally of Washington, frequently hosts US Navy warships on their way to the Persian Gulf. The island republic is also a vital business hub for East Asia, acting as headquarters for numerous international companies.
"We must still remain on alert against terrorists out to harm our people and economy," Lee said in a speech that was part of events in the lead-up to Singapore's national day on August 9. Bureau Report