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Southeast Asia

Troops clash with Abus in Basilan

2019-03-05

[PNA] Philippine troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf militants led by an associate of Isnilon Hapilon on Friday morning. Western Mindanao Command spokesman Gerry Besana said no one was injured among the troops while the rebels, led by Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama, were believed to have suffered casualties. Indama was a known associate of Hapilon, the self-declared emir of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, who was killed during the siege on Marawi City in 2017. Citing a report from the 104th Infantry Brigade, Besana said the clash happened in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan province. He said the troops under the 18th Infantry Battalion were on security patrol when they chanced upon Indama's group. The clash lasted for about 30 minutes.

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Southeast Asia

Zamboanga blast: One year later

2016-01-26

[Inquirer] Philippine president Aquino was infuriated: Abu Sayyaf terrorists had detonated a car bomb in the heart of Zamboanga City on Jan. 23, 2015, and had managed to smuggle firearms into the city jail. A ranking Malacañang official said last week, "The President was really pissed off that time," adding that he wanted to go to the city to check the security situation there for himself. Aquino's whereabouts in Zamboanga City have been questioned in light of renewed calls in the Senate to look into his role in the Special Action Force operation to capture wanted Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, which led to the death of 44 police commandos. Other sources said that Aquino was to fly to Zamboanga on January 25, the birthday of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino. The ASG planned to spring out of jail Benzar Indama, who is the brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama, and 56 other members. It had been less than two years since the bloody Zamboanga siege, where a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front led by Nur Misuari, tried to take over the city. The 2013 battle claimed the lives of nine civilians, 18 soldiers, five policemen and some 100 MNLF fighters. The January 23 car bombing killed two people and wounded more than 50. That day, two government agents had been monitoring the movements of at least two suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, and had even followed them into an alley, not knowing that a homemade bomb had been planted inside the car parked in front of a bus terminal.

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Southeast Asia

Abu Sayyaf suspect behind 2011 kidnapping nabbed

2015-09-29

[Mindanao Examiner] Philippine authorities are holding an Abu Sayyaf militant involved in the 2011 kidnapping of an American woman and her son. Regional police spokesman Dahlan Samuddin said Wajir Arijani, also known as Abu Miqtad, is being interrogated following his capture at a hideout in Santa Catalina village in Zamboanga City. Arijani is a member of the Abu Sayyaf faction led by Puruji Indama in the neighboring province of Basilan. Samuddin said the militant was involved in the kidnappings of Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann and son Kevin on July 2011 on their beach house in Zamboanga. He said, "The arrest was made after a long period of pursuit and surveillance operations by the intelligence community that finally pinpointed his location."

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Southeast Asia

Three Abu Sayyaf militants killed in Basilan

2014-12-05

Three Abu Sayyaf militants were killed and two Philippine soldiers injured in a clash that broke out Thursday in Basilan province in the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. Authorities said security forces were pursuing two of the Abu Sayyaf most notorious leaders, Puruji Indama and Nurhasan Jamiri, in Tipo-Tipo town when they encountered the militants and killed three of them. Marine Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela said, "At least three Abu Sayyaf members were killed and two soldiers wounded in the clash in Tipo-Tipo and the operation is continuing in Basilan province." Capt. Franco Salvador Suelto said troops were scouring the town’s hinterlands where the group fled.

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Southeast Asia

Philippine troops hunt Abu Sayyaf gunmen

2014-08-23

Philippine troops continue to pursue Abu Sayyaf terrorists militants tagged as behind Thursday's attack that injured a total of eight soldiers in Basilan province in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Capt. Franco Suelto said soldiers tracking down Abu Sayyaf terrorists militants led by Puruji Indama, who ambushed an army truck in Ungkaya Pukan town. The attack triggered a 15-minute gun battle. There were no immediate reports of enemy casualties. The clash occurred just a day after security forces arrested two wanted Abu Sayyaf terrorists militants – Nur Hassan and Ustadz Alih – in Zamboanga City. The two, both Basilan natives, were being investigated by the police in Zamboanga City. Authorities did not say whether the two men were on a mission or planning to launch attacks in Zamboanga, where suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen recently kidnapped a grocery owner, Michelle Panes, in Labuan village.

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Southeast Asia

Philippine military accused of attacking MILF forces

2014-04-18

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has accused the Philippine military of attacking its forces in Basilan province and said three of its fighters had been killed by soldiers. It said one civilian was also killed and three others injured by the military assault. It said the military violated the cease-fire agreement between the MILF and the government. Marine Captain Maria Rowena Muyuela, spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said the military launched the operation on April 11 against Abu Sayyaf leaders Puruji Indama and Nurhassan Jamiri, who have been interfering with a government road project there. Muyuela said the military operation was coordinated with the MILF in Basilan. She said, "The launching of the combat operation has been coordinated with the AHJAG, CCCH and the PNP in pursuit of the lawless elements, primarily the Abu Sayyaf, which is believed to be responsible in several extortion and kidnapping cases here in the Mindanao area." But the MILF, which recently signed a peace deal with Manila, denied the report, saying the assault was launched without any coordination and this triggered a fierce gun battle between its forces and government troops after security forced encroached into its territories. It said the military assault against the Abu Sayyaf in the village of Kurellem lasted only for two hours, but the exchange of gun fire between MILF forces and the government troops took several hours. AFP chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said there are reports that MILF militants fought alongside Abu Sayyaf rebels in Basilan. He said some MILF members who have relatives with the Abu Sayyaf were involved in the fighting. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Domingo Tutaan said they are still verifying reports that as many as 32 militants were killed and injured in the fighting.

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Southeast Asia

Seven slain in clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants

2014-04-12

At least seven Abu Sayyaf militants and Philippine soldiers were killed in sporadic clashes in the Muslim province of Basilan, officials announced early Saturday. Marine Captain Maria Rowena Muyuela said at least five from the Abu Sayyaf and two from the military side were confirmed dead. Two of the slain militants were identified as Assi Kalitot and Basri Musa. Both were followers of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon. She said 28 soldiers were also injured in the fighting that began before dawn on April 11 in Ungkaya Pukan and spread to the neighboring town of Tipo-Tipo. She said security forces are pursuing Hapilon and the group of Puruji Indama and Nurhassan Jamiri, three of the most notorious leaders of the Abu Sayyaf. Muyuela said, "The operation was directed towards the neutralization of the said Abu Sayyaf Group which is responsible in a number of kidnapping and extortion activities, including the Sabrina Ikbala Voon kidnap case, and the P5 million being demanded by the Abu Sayyaf from the contractor of the ongoing Magkawa to Al-Barka road project."

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Southeast Asia

Seven terrorists, one soldier killed in Basilan battle

2013-08-09

Philippine troops battled Abu Sayyaf gunmen in a clash on Thursday that killed 7 militants and left one soldier dead in Basilan province on Mindanao. Colonel Carlito Galvez said seven Abu Sayyaf gunmen and a soldier were slain in fierce firefights in the town of Al Barka. The fighting also left three soldiers injured. He said they stormed the area after intelligence units confirmed the presence of terrorists in the village of Macalang. Galvez said troops raided an Abu Sayyaf encampment and clashed with the group's leaders - Nurhassan Jamiri, Isnilon Hapilon, Puruji Indama and Khair Mundos - who have links with Indonesian rebel Jemaah Islamiya. He said troops recovered improvised explosives assembled from mortar bombs in the encampment. Galvez said the Abu Sayyaf leaders are hiding in areas where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is operating and using them as a shield from pursuing soldiers. Abu Sayyaf militants also attacked an MILF camp in Al Barka town in an effort to drag them into the fighting.

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Southeast Asia

Filipino troops attack Abu Sayyaf hideout, kill 7

2013-04-15

More than 100 Filipino troops attacked a mountainous stronghold of two al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf commanders, including one on the FBI's list of most-wanted terrorists, sparking clashes Monday that killed at least seven militants in the country's south. The offensive targeted Abu Sayyaf commanders Isnilon Hapilon and Puruji Indama in the outskirts of Tipo Tipo town on Basilan Island, but it was not clear if the two were hit or managed to escape during the main assault after dawn and two clashes that erupted afterward, army brigade commander Col. Carlito Galvez said. At least three soldiers were wounded in the clashes with about 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen, the military said. Washington has offered a $5 million reward for the capture or killing of Hapilon, who has been accused of involvement in deadly bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings, including of Americans in the past, landing him on the list of the FBI's most-wanted terrorists. Indama has been wanted by Philippine authorities for his alleged involvement in deadly bombings and kidnappings of several people, including a former Australian soldier who was freed last month after 15 months of jungle captivity after ransom was paid. Indama has been blamed for the 2007 beheadings of 10 marines in Basilan, a widely condemned atrocity that prompted a major military offensive against the militants.

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Southeast Asia

Kidnapped Aussie back in Basilan

2012-01-15

Philippine authorities have expanded Thursday their search for kidnapped Australian man Warren Rodwell in the Muslim provinces of Basilan and Sulu. Police have received reports that Rodwell, 53, was taken back to Basilan province after failing to merge with another Abu Sayyaf faction under terrorist leader Radulan Sahiron in Sulu. Sahiron is reported to be ill and did not want to take Rodwell into his custody in the province where security forces are also battling Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya. Basilan's police chief said the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers led by Radzmier Alih returned to the province late on Tuesday on a speedboat and landed in Sumisip town. Alih is a sub-leader of the notorious terrorist commander Puruji Indama. Senior Superintendent Alexis Lineses said, "On January 10, Australian kidnapped victim Rodwell and his captors, Abu Sayyaf's Radzmier Alih, of Basilan and some few men left the coastal line of Sitio Bual Nagka in the village of Lumapid in Talipao town in Sulu aboard a jungkong fast motorboat, believed to be heading back to Sumisip in Basilan," "The reason for the transfer were the pressure from the police and military operations and the leaked of information of their presence in Sulu, as well as the unpreparedness of Radulan Sahiron to receive Rodwell in Patikul. We are evaluating these reports." The military has received similar reports, and has ordered security forces to step up its intelligence and operations against Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan. Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, said, "We are intensifying our operations -- both on the grounds and information gathering -- and we are now concentrating our efforts to locate Warren Rodwell." Military authorities also distributed to soldiers photo copies of a picture of Indama, who is said to be holding Rodwell in Basilan. Abu Sayyaf militants are also holding a kidnapped Japanese man, an Indian national and two Malaysians and several Filipinos in the Sulu Archipelago. Philippine authorities have admitted the presence of Jemaah Islamiya terrorists in Sulu province. Lieutenant General Raymundo Ferrer, military chief in Western Mindanao, said they have identified 5 Jemaah Islamiya members who are being protected by the Abu Sayyaf. He said the terrorists -- Qayim, Mauiya, Marwan, Saad and Amin Baco -- are being tracked down by security forces. Mauiya was one of the terrorists who held three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross -- Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba who were kidnapped in 2009. The trio was freed after private negotiators allegedly paid a huge ransom to the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya.

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Southeast Asia

American teenager escapes Abu Sayyaf after five months captivity

2011-12-12

An American teenager outsmarted the members of a suspected al Qaeda-linked terror cell, escaping after five months of being held hostage in a jungle in the Philippines. Kevin Lunsmann, 14, was lost for nearly two days, trekking without shoes, before he villagers found him, his father said. Heiko Lunsmann said, "I'm so proud of my son, he's a hero, he wandered two days through the jungle." When he spoke to his father for the first time the boy proudly told him, "I did it on my own, Dad, they didn't release me, I did it." Kevin Lunsmann said he convinced his four armed captors that he was going to bathe at a nearby stream, but then decided to flee. He followed a river down a mountain in Basilan province before being discovered with bruises late the next day by villagers. When an exhausted Lunsmann was found, he initially feared the villagers and fled from them as well. Police Senior Superintendant Edwin de Ocampo said, "He was in fear, so there was a bit of a chase before the villagers convinced him that they were friends." Last summer, Lunsmann was vacationing in the Philippines with his Filipino-American mother and his cousin. On July 12 they were on an island near Zamboanga City when they were seized and taken by boat to Basilan. The kidnappers then called the family in Virginia to demand a ransom. Family friend Jean Gowen said Heiko Lunsmann paid a ransom intended for the release of the boy and his mother two months ago, but only the mother was released. She said, "The deal was for them to release both Kevin and Gerfa at the time, but they only released one of them. I think they wanted more money." The mother was freed when her captors left her at a wharf on Basilan. Lunsmann's cousin also escaped from the kidnappers last month, when Filipino army forces got near the camp where they were held. The kidnappers are believed to be led by a terrorist militant, Puruji Indama, of Abu Sayyaf. Army Coronel Ricardo Visaya said troops were hunting down the terrorists militants and clashed with one group in nearby Akbar town, which may have disconcerted the kidnappers and gave Lunsmann the chance to escape.

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Southeast Asia

Kidnappers Seek Ransom for 2 Americans, Filipino

2011-07-18

[An Nahar] The kidnappers of an American woman, her son and Filipino nephew in the southern Philippines have telephoned their family by phone demanding a ransom, officials said Sunday. At least 14 gunnies seized Philippine-born U.S. citizen Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, her 14-year-old son and 19-year-old nephew Tuesday from a relative's house they were visiting in a village near southern Zamboanga City. They were taken away at gunpoint on board a motor boat, officials said. Kidnappings for ransom have long been a problem in the impoverished region and are blamed mostly on the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf ...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder... , a group also notorious for beheadings and bombings. U.S.-backed offensives have weakened the group, which is blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization, but it remains a key security threat. Asked about the reported ransom, Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said without elaborating that U.S. authorities have told Philippine officials the kidnappers called the captives' family and demanded money. Lobregat declined to disclose other details, including if the kidnappers identified their group or if they allowed the captives to talk to their family. "There was a call to the family, and a demand was made," Lobregat said. Regional police commander Felicisimo Khu Jr. said Sherlocks were aware of the ransom demand. Lunsmann, a 41-year-old veterinarian who lives in Virginia, was born to a Mohammedan family in a village not far from where she and her son were vacationing with relatives when they were snatched, Khu said. She was adopted by an American couple as a child and grew up in the United States. She has visited her Philippine home province at least five times before the kidnappings, Khu said. Khu said authorities suspect the captives were being held in the island province of Basilan across a strait from Zamboanga City by cut-throats under Abu Sayyaf commanders Nurhassan Jamiri and Puruji Indama, who have been blamed for past kidnappings and beheadings. The captives could also be in nearby Zamboanga Sibugay province, where the actual kidnappers, believed to be former Mohammedan rebels from another group, are based. The kidnappers reportedly turned over their captives to the Abu Sayyaf, Khu said, citing intelligence.

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