MANILA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Philippine immigration agents have arrested a Pakistani "suicide bomber" suspected of having links with local terrorists in southern Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the suspect, identified as Waqar Ahmad, 36, was arrested on Tuesday while manning the appliance store owned by his uncle in Zamboanga City. The suspect is allegedly a "suicide bomber and a member of the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group."
The suspect is now in police detention in Zamboanga City while undergoing deportation proceedings "for being an undesirable alien due to his alleged terrorist links and for working in the country without a permit," Morente added.
According to Morente, Ahmad was "arrested after several days of intensive (police) surveillance" at the appliance store of his Pakistani uncle in Zamboanga City where the suspect worked as "storekeeper and collector."
A check with the BI records showed that Ahmad arrived in the Philippines on April 19 this year, he added.
"He (Ahmad) will be deported as his presence here is inimical to national security. He also violated our immigration laws by working here without applying for an employment visa," Morente said.
Morente said Ahmad will not be allowed to enter the country ever again, adding that the suspect will be blacklisted to ensure that he cannot re-enter the Philippines ever again.
Citing "international intelligence reports," Morente said Ahmad has "alleged links to the radical Islamist group Dawlah Islamiya, which allegedly has ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Maute group, both of which have been blamed for several bombing attacks in the South."
Moreover, Morente said intelligence information showed that Ahmad came to the Philippines "to meet with a ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan in order to plan and carry out suicide bombings in the province."
Basilan, an island province off Mindanao, is a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf militants.
"Authorities suspected that Dawlah Islamiya was behind the bomb explosion that wounded 18 people at a restaurant in Insulan, Sultan Kudarat (on) April 4 (this year)," Morente said.
Philippine authorities have warned that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the Philippines. Attacks have been carried out using improvised explosive devices and small arms.
Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out attacks at any time and anywhere in the country, including in the capital Manila and in places visited by foreigners, such as airports, shopping malls, public transport, including the metro system and places of worship.
On Jan. 27 this year, at least 27 people were killed and many more injured as a result of bomb attacks at a Roman Catholic cathedral on the remote Jolo Island in Sulu province.
