Filipino troops kill notorious kidnapper

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine marines have killed an Abu Sayyaf extremist commander and a notorious kidnapper who had sailed across the sea border into Malaysia to snatch tourists and sailors for ransom.

Gen. Eduardo Ano told The Associated Press that Alhabsy Misaya was slain in a clash with marines late Friday in the jungles between the towns of Indanan and Parang in Sulu province. He said Misaya’s body was identified by military officials and captured Abu Sayyaf militants.

Misaya has been blamed for abductions of dozens of Malaysians and Indonesian hostages, including one who was beheaded.

“We consider him the most notorious kidnapper from that bandit group and this is a big setback to the Abu Sayyaf,” Ano told the AP.

Misaya had been blamed for the abductions of dozens of Indonesian, Vietnamese and Malaysian crewmen of cargo ships and tugboats plying the busy sea border between the southern Philippines and Malaysia. He was believed to be holding several abducted Vietnamese sailors in Sulu’s jungles but the hostages were apparently not with him during the clash.