Authorities looking into Maute ties of arrested Marawi blast suspect

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said military troops have arrested one of the suspects in the bombing attack against a Catholic mass at a gymnasium in Mindanao State University-Marawi main campus last 3 December that killed four people and injured at least 50 individuals.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs office chief, identified the suspects as Jafar Gamo Sultan alias "Jaf" and "Kurot."

The suspect, who was apprehended in an operation in Barangay Dulay Proper in Marawi, is a companion of a certain Omar, the person identified by witnesses to have placed the improvised explosive device at the Dimaporo Gymnasium.

Also seized by troops were two motorcycles, Trinidad said.

The AFP is still investigating whether the suspect has possible links to the local terrorist group Daulah Islamiyah-Maute. The same group was responsible for the Marawi siege in 2017.

The Philippine National Police earlier released pictures and identities of two "persons of interest"— identified as Kadapi Mimbesa alias "Engineer" and Arsani Membisa alias "Khatab," "Hatab," and "Lapitos"— who are possibly involved in the MSU blast based on witnesses' descriptions.

Both are said to be founding members of the Daulah Islamiyah—Maute group and have standing warrants of arrest for various crimes, including murder.

The initial investigation showed that Mimbesa was spotted carrying a bag where the bomb or IED "could have been hidden," said the PNP.

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa lauded the latest development in the fatal bombing incident.

"I would like to congratulate our security forces for the arrest of one of the suspects. It was not a lone wolf attack, so we have to urge them to utilize all their resources to arrest the remaining suspects, especially the two identified suspects," Dela Rosa told reporters in a Viber message on Friday.