3 alleged Abu Sayyaf bandits nabbed in Zamboanga City, Basilan
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Three suspected Abu Sayyaf members, one of whom reportedly belongs to a group that holds a foreign hostage, were separately arrested here and in Basilan on Thursday and Friday, the military said.
Major Filemon Tan Jr., the spokesperson of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, identified those arrested in Basilan on Friday as Mudzrih Abih Adjalan, alias Idol, an alleged Abu Sayyaf sub-leader; and a certain Yasir.
He said the two suspected bandits were arrested Friday by elements of the Joint Task Group Basilan in a village in Ungkaya Pukan. Adjalan has a standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping, he said. He did not provide additional details for Yasir.
On Thursday afternoon, another suspected bandit, who earlier escaped from police custody here, had been recaptured.
Superintendent Luisito Magnaye, the city police director, said Alhnur Usup—also known as Arab-arab, Arab Puti and Aldin Usup—who faces murder charges in connection with the August 2014 Talipao, Sulu massacre had been rearrested.
Usup escaped from police custody last June 21, while being brought to the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center.
Magnaye said Usup’s group in Sulu was reportedly holding European bird watcher Ewold Horn. RAM/rga
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