Report: Soodh
Following the arrests of the extremists group at the island of Himandhoo in Alif Alif Atoll, a previously unknown group known as “the Media Section of Ansar Al Mujahideen” has posted a trailer video on a well-known Internet forum associated with al-Qaeda. The trailer promotes an upcoming video package called “Your Brothers in Maldives are Calling You!” The trailer lasts 1 minute and 49 seconds and features clips recorded inside a makeshift mosque during the October 6, 2007, standoff between an extremist breakaway group of Himandhuans and the police.
The trailer was posted in 3 file formats, WMV, MP4 and FLV, in 4 sizes across 23 sites. The video says that it is the first al Qaeda warning and calls for foreign recruitment and financing for the breakaway extremist group.
In the search house to house search carried by Maldives police in Himandhoo in the aftermath of the September 29 explosion of Sultan Park, masked men from the breakaway group armed with iron rods, knifes and swords confronted the police. In the clashes that followed more 60 members from the extremist group were arrested. The clashes also caused substantial injuries to police officers and to the members of the radical group.
It is interesting to note that video trailer was posted at a time when many reporters of neighboring countries linking the Sultan Park bombers to terror organizations in Pakistan and in India. The trailer posted by an organization named Media Section of Ansar Al Mujahideen calls for assistance and support for the fellow brothers in Maldives.
Velidhoo News contacted Maldives Police services for a comment on the matter. Abdulla Riyaz, Assistant Commissioner of Police, told Velidhoo News that he too have read the article on the internet. He further said that police are checking the authenticity of the warning in the same manner the Americans check the authenticity of video and audio messages released by Usama Bin Ladin.
Many political analysts believe that even if the message is authentic or not, to bring the world focus on the extremist organization in Maldives is not good. Many analysts also believe that as the Media Section of Ansar Al Mujahideen had used travel and tourism as key words on the posting on internet it could easily destroy the country’s good image and reputation.
http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2007/11/ansar-almujahideen-targets-the/
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