ZAMBOANGA CITY – Malaysia has captured 8 Abu Sayyaf terrorists and 29 other Filipinos during an anti-terror raid in Sabah, officials announced Monday.
Military and Daily Express photos show the captured Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sabah. |
State Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali announced the capture of the Abu Sayyaf fighters and the other Filipinos during Monday’s news conference, according to the reports.
“All 37 individuals arrested consisted of eight
men, eight women and 21 children who are believed to have been in Sabah for
more than a year,” he said, adding authorities are now investigating how they
managed to sneak into Sabah despite tight security imposed at the border with the
southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi.
“Further investigations into the reason for
their entry into Sabah – (the) assistance they received during their stay in
Sabah, their entry and exit routes, their facilitators in Sabah, any firearms
brought into the country and whether there are separate Islamic State of Iraq
and Sham (ISIS) and ASG cells will be done,” Hazani said
The reports also said that at least 2 of the Abu Sayyaf terrorists were involved in clashes with Filipino soldiers in Sulu the past years and recently in November 2020. They are also being linked to the ransom kidnappings of foreigners in southern Philippines.
The Philippine military has confirmed the reports, saying the operation launched by Malaysia was part of bilateral anti-terrorism efforts between the two countries.
“The strengthened collaboration and cooperation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Eastern Sabah Southern Command led to the apprehension of two notorious Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leaders and six of their followers in Sabah,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, adding the intelligence was provided by the Joint Task Force Sulu to the Eastern Sabah Security Command or ESSCOM.
“Based on the report from the ground, the ESSCOM responded to the information provided by the Joint Task Force Sulu and launched a police special operation in Jalan Taman Sri Arjuna, Beaufort, Sabah around 3:00 o'clock in the morning of May 8, Saturday,” Vinluan said.
He identified some of the arrested Abu Sayyaf terrorists as Sansibar Bensio, 40; Mabar Binda, 25; who are sub-leaders of the pro-ISIS group. And the other terrorists as Muayyar Binda, 30; Firdaus; Lugah Sanchez, 45; Bonijar Samsula,
Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu, said Bensio and Binda were involved in the series of clashes with the military in Patikul town where they beheaded 2Lt. Michael Baladad, of the Philippine Marines.
He said the two sub-leaders were also involved in the kidnappings of at least 10 Filipinos and Indonesian fishermen Samiun Bin Maneu, Maharudin Bin Lunani and Muhammad Farhan; and also Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, Dutchman Ewold Horn.
Gonzales, citing intelligence report by Col. Hernanie Songano, commander of the 4th Marine Brigade, said: Due to the sustained intelligence, focused military operations, and civil-military cooperation in the province of Sulu, particularly in the Second District, the now-apprehended personalities escaped to Sabah and established an Abu Sayyaf cell base thereat, to spot probable kidnap victims and to facilitate (the entry of) foreign terrorist groups operating in the Southeast Asian countries, to conduct terror activities in the Philippines.” (Mindanao Examiner)
Like Us on Facebook: The Mindanao Examiner
Like Us on Facebook: The Zamboanga Post
Follow Us on Twitter: Mindanao Examine
Mirror Site: Mindanao Examiner Blog
Digital Archives: Mindanao Examiner Digital
Media Rates: Advertising Rates
No comments:
Post a Comment