AUTHORITIES foiled a reported plan by the Abu Sayyaf Group
(ASG) to kidnap an Australian family in Agusan del Sur on Sunday after it
arrested seven bandit in a joint operation of the military and the police.
The bandit group was supposedly headed by ASG subcommander
Muammar Askali, the same bandit leader that was tagged behind the kidnapping
last month of four people, including a Norwegian and two Canadians on Samal Island
Insp. Joebert Agpaoa, chief of the San Luis, Agusan del Sur
police, confirmed the operations against suspects, but said it was for illegal
possession of firearms.
He said the raid against Askali’s group at Purok 4, Barangay
Nuevo Trabajo, San Luis, was carried out through the strength of a search
warrant for illegal possession of firearms that was issued by a local court.
Agpaoa said that those “invited for questioning” were
Nuluddin Astropher, Ricardo Asong, Nuluddin Hadjula, Alvin Ammad, Rolly Delgado
Sulapas, Marcela Musa Nuluddin and Kenedy Castro Calderon.
Askali, who was the suspected mastermind in the abduction of
Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and
Filipino Maritess Flor, was not with the group.
Agpaoa, however, said the seven were released, adding that
some of those that they were taken in were from Jolo, Sulu.
A military official from Agusan provinces said the
operations against the ASG was carried out after military intelligence agents
monitored the movement of Askali from Sulu to Agusan del Sur, where the
terrorists plotted to abduct an Australian and his family.
He said that after confirming that the group was after an
Australian couple and their son, government forces took the prospective victims
to a safe place before initiating the raid.
“Our technical intelligence group monitored the movement of
the group from Sulu to Surigao
City
“Bits and pieces of information gathered by intelligence
pinpointed a farm, believed to the safe house where armed men were spotted,” he
added.
The military official said the farm was located at the
outskirts of San Luis, which is only a few kilometers away from the area where
the Australians were staying.
“As soon as we extricated them [Australians] to safer place,
we conducted the raid,” he said.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/troops-cops-prevent-another-abu-kidnap-plot/
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