Troops arrest Sayyaf man, seize bomb materials

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 8): Troops arrest Sayyaf man, seize bomb materials

Government security forces arrested a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and seized bomb-making components in the province of Sulu, a top military official said Friday.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the arrested ASG member as Milham Saham, 24, of Barangay Bangkal, Patikul town.

Sobejana said Saham was intercepted and arrested by the troops from the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion at a checkpoint at around 6 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Buhanginan, Patikul.

“The troops conducted a checkpoint following reports on the alleged movement of the Abu Sayyaf in the area, resulting in the arrest of Saham,” Sobejana said.

He said that Saham was positively identified by informants as an ASG member under the group of one-armed and the oldest Abu Sayyaf leader, Radulan Sahiron.

He said the troops seized from Saham’s possession several components of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), including an Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) with detonating cord, electrical wires, tapes, and a circuit assembly.

He said Saham is undergoing debriefing at the headquarters of the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion.

The Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) on Friday reported that 299 ASG members have already been neutralized since the campaign against them started in January this year.

Of the total, 122 were killed, 103 surrendered and 74 were apprehended.

“All means are exhausted by the ground troops to neutralize the bandits who are responsible for the series of kidnappings and atrocities in the joint area of operations,” Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Westmincom chief said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1008975