MANILA – Security forces have arrested three suspects from the Middle East allegedly involved in a plot to bomb the US, British and Australian embassies in Manila, officials said yesterday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita confirmed that two men were arrested last month in the southern island of Mindanao and were being interrogated by military intelligence.

A third man, believed to be a Jordanian, was arrested recently in Manila according to a government security official who did not want to be named.

"Indications are that they were part of a plot to bomb at least four foreign embassies in Manila," the source said.

He said the US, British and Australian embassies were believed to have been among the targets although he gave no further details.

"There is intelligence information that they are probably terrorists," Ermita told reporters during a security conference in Manila. "Their objective was to create chaos," he said.

Asked if they had links to the Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf militant groups, he said "most likely" but declined to give any further details.

Calls by AFP to the US, British and Australian embassies were not returned.

A security consultant, who did not want to be named, said: "Despite the alleged bomb plot security around the three embassies had not been increased."

Similar allegations surfaced on February 14 when the government announced that it had uncovered a plot by Islamic militants linked to the Al-Qaeda network to assassinate President Gloria Arroyo and bomb foreign embassies in Manila.*AFP

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