COTABATO, Philippines – Officials say Philippine troops have seized bomb-making materials they believe al-Qaida-linked militants were planning to use in a terrorist attack in the volatile southern region.
Maj. Gen. Anthony Alcantara said Tuesday three electronic circuit boards, a cellular phone and two-way radios were among the parts found in a van. The driver abandoned the vehicle as it approached an army checkpoint in Guindolongan town.
Army Maj. Marlowe Patria said motorcyclists escorting the van late Sunday fled. He said the seized parts, which did not include any explosives, were enough to make three powerful bombs.
Security forces have been on alert since a Jan. 25 bomb blast on a bus killed five people and wounded more than 12 others in the capital.
