Philippine court convicts Indonesian, 2 Filipino extremists in deadly 2002 mall bombing

MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine court has convicted an Indonesian militant and two Filipino extremists for their role in a 2002 mall bombing that killed at least 12 people and signaled the start of the alliance of two of Southeast Asia's most violent terrorist groups.

Judge Leili Cruz-Suarez said in her ruling handed down on Thursday that Jul Kifli from Indonesia and Abu Sayyaf militants Ahmad Jekeron and Yacob Basug were "guilty beyond reasonable doubt" of staging the April 21, 2002, bombing at the Fitmart shopping mall in the southern port city of General Santos, which also wounded dozens of people.

A former Abu Sayyaf militant and key witness, Abu Hamdie, tells The Associated Press the bombing was the first joint attack by the Abu Sayyaf and the Indonesia-based terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.