Sayyaf man in Malaysia raids killed

COTABATO CITY - Security forces have recently killed a key member of the Abu Sayyaf involved in kidnappings in Malaysia and captured another in separate raids in southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said soldiers and policemen stormed a hideout of the Abu Sayyaf in Tawi-Tawi’s Sitangkai town and killed Said, whose group was tagged as behind several cross-border raids in Sabah; and other kidnappings in the province that included Filipino executive Precillano Garcia.

Said, who was under Alhabsi Misaya and Idang Susukan, was fatally shot during a clash. Both Misaya and Susukan were linked to the beheading last month of Malaysian hostage Bernard Then in the town of Indanan after his family failed to pay ransom.

Captain RoyVincent Trinidad, a military spokesman, has confirmed Said’s killing in Tawi-Tawi, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

He said another Abu Sayyaf leader, Mhadie Umangkat, was also captured in a joint police and military operation in the village called Tugbungan in Zamboanga City.

Trinidad said Umangkat is a leader of an Abu Sayyaf unit implicated in the spate of attacks on government forces in Basilan province which is also part of the Muslim region. “Umangkat is a leader of Abu Sayyaf’s auxiliary threat group based in Sumisip town in Basilan,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He said Umangkat was previously under Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama and Abas Alam and had been tagged as behind the ambushed of government troops in Basilan.

“Umangkat is responsible for the series of carnapping, bombings and burning of government construction equipment in the province. Authorities are investigating his presence in Zamboanga City,” Trinidad said.

The Abu Sayyaf bombed many civilian targets in Zamboanga City in daring attacks the past years.