MANILA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Philippine security forces are hunting two Islamic militants suspected of plotting attacks in the capital after a series of bomb blasts in the south, the commander of military forces in Manila said on Monday. Three people were wounded when a powerful blast rocked a national police camp in the southern Mindanao island on Sunday, hours after a bomb went off in a public market. The attacks came after seven people were killed and more than 30 wounded in bombings in urban centres on Mindanao last week, raising fears Manila would be the next target ahead of a religious holiday on Nov. 1. "We're focusing on two personalities who have the capability to prepare bombs," Brigadier-General Ben Dolorfino told reporters after inspecting a U.S.-trained counter-terrorism army unit at the main military base in Manila. "Right now, we learned there was a plan to explode bombs in the capital, so we're now looking for the people that may likely carry out the attacks. Dolorfino said two members of Muslim convert group Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement, trained by militants from Indonesia, were hiding near Manila and were preparing to strike at targets, such as shopping malls, transport systems and other public areas. Security officials said the Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement has close ties with Abu Sayyaf, the most violent Muslim guerrilla group in the southern Philippines, and with the Southeast Asian regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI). All three groups were blamed for the worst militant attack in the mainly Roman Catholic country, the 2004 bombing of a ferry near Manila that killed more than 100 people. A senior intelligence official told Reuters they received information that Muslim militants were planning attacks in Manila between the end of the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan on Oct. 24 and Nov. 1, the Roman Catholic's All Saints Day holiday. "There were a lot of concerns during that period because huge number of people would be taking trips outside Manila," said the intelligence officer. "These people might take advantage of the situation because Manila would be vulnerable to an attack."
