BASILAN, Philippines -- The military has confirmed that a Malaysian terrorist aiding the Abu Sayyaf Group was arrested recently.
Col. Cirilo Donato, commander of the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade, said the Malaysian militant member was captured early this month at the port of Maluso town while trying to slip back into Malaysia.
Donato did not name the suspect, who is in the custody of military intelligence.
He said the suspect was tracked down with tips from civilians who saw him in a former Abu Sayyaf camp in Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo that the military captured in August.
“When he was arrested, it seemed he was about to leave the country because he was seen in the area where there were motorboats plying the southern backdoor in Maluso,” Donato said.
He said the military is checking if the suspect may have been training the Abu Sayyaf to make bombs because he was caught with materials for Improvised Explosive Devices.
Donato said the Malaysian militant was also seen during the encounters in Barangay Baguindan. He was reportedly armed and bearing the ‘shahada’ flag of the Islamic State.
The military is verifying the reported presence of two Saudi nationals believed to be hiding with the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan. Donato said there are persistent reports about the two but no solid evidence.
Meanwhile, the military believes senior Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon is running out of places to hide in Basilan after 32 Abu Sayyaf members surrendered to authorities.
Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) commander, said Hapilon, who pledged allegiance to the ISIS has not been able to leave Basilan due to the intense operations in nearby Sulu province.
“The surrender of the Abu Sayyaf members is good because it makes Hapilon’s area smaller,” Dela Cruz said.
Hapilon, who is the remaining leader of the four most notorious Abu Sayyaf heads wanted by the US government for kidnapping and killing of American citizens, has remained elusive since 2000.
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