Abus still holding 6 captives for ransom

From the Manila Standard Today (Apr 14): Abus still holding 6 captives for ransom

UP TO 80 members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf are guarding at least six people—including three Filipinos—who are being held for ransom, an official said Monday.

But Col. Alan Arrojado, head of the Joint Task Group Sulu, declined to comment if there was a seventh person being held for ransom by the group of Abu Sayyaf commander Radullan Sahiron.

Police and military authorities have said they are still verifying a report that Mayor Gemma Adana of Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay, who was kidnapped recently by the group of Waning Abdusalam, a lost command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has been delivered to the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

On Sunday, Armed Forces spokesman Joselito Kakilala said the military and police had impounded three unregistered double-engine boats in Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay, that were believed to have been used by the group of Abnar Abdusalam, brother of Waning, in Adana’s abduction.

Arrojado said Sahiron had at least eight sub-commanders under his command with 250 to 300 men.

Six of the sub-leaders have been identified as Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan, Hairulla Asbang, Toma Idjas, Jamiri Jaong Jawhari, Hassan Agil, and  Said Mohammad alias Amah Maas.

Arrojado said his troops were being extra careful when hunting the Abu Sayyaf to avoid injuring or even causing the death of the kidnap victims.

The Abu Sayyaf are believed to be still holding Ewold Horn, a Dutch national; Yahung Chen, a Filipino-Chinese; Joshua Bani, 21, from Tawi-Tawi; Nwi Seong Hong, a Korean national; Emeil Jaid, 7, a Tausug; and Renato Fernadez, a retired Philippine Marine.

“The bandits are highly mobile with their kidnap victims in tow. Sometimes they converge, sometimes they move in groups every time our pursuing troops pinpoint their location,” Arrojado said.

He said that from January to March this year his task force had already killed 52 Abu Sayyaf bandits in a series of operations, while less than a dozen soldiers had been killed.

“Our operations are concentrated in Patikul, Indanan and Talipao,” Arrojado said.

“The bandits cannot just transfer to other nearby towns because they can be easily detected.”

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/04/14/abus-still-holding-6-captives-for-ransom/