Thai commander says al-Qaeda cells exist in the region

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Royal Thai Armed Forces Supreme Commander Admiral Narong Yuthavong said today that he believes that Al-Qaeda cells exist in Southeast Asia, reported Bernama today.

He said Thailand was cooperating with other countries in the region with regard to intelligence gathering on terrorist movements in the area.

"We have some proof of that (Al-Qaeda presence), but it is not appropriate to reveal (details about) this," he said.

He said this at a joint media conference with Malaysian Armed Forces Chief Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin on the second day of the three-day meeting of the 10th High Level Committee between Malaysia and Thailand in Kuala Lumpur.

Narong was responding to questions on the possible presence of Al-Qaeda operatives in the region. Al-Qaeda, said to be helmed by Osama bin Laded, has been blamed for the Sept 11 attacks in the United States.

Internal security matter

However, Zahidi said Al-Qaeda's presence in Southeast Asia could be coincidental, and as far as the Malaysian armed forces was concerned, it was an internal security matter.

It was the duty of the armed forces to provide the relevant information to the authorities, he said.

"When we talk about the cells or network (of Al-Qaeda), on which we are not in a position to reveal any information, it is definitely in the purview of the police," he was quoted as saying.

Zahidi said cooperation between military intelligence units in the region, particularly in the area of information exchange, would continue.

On the meeting, he said both sides touched on the need to enhance cooperation to further curb smuggling activities at the common border.



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