Saturday, November 3, 2018

Militants picked up including from Sabah

From the Daily Express (Nov 1): Militants picked up including from Sabah

Kuala Lumpur: Five suspected militants were detained following an anti-terror swoop in four states, says Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, star reports.
The Inspector-General of Police said the suspects, two Malaysians (a man and a woman), a Pakistani, an Egyptian and a Middle-Eastern, were detained in Selangor, Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division during the operation, which was held from Oct 13 till Oct 26. He said the first arrest was made on a 50-year-old Egyptian man, who is an executive manager of a private company on Oct 13. "We made the arrest in Selangor. The suspect is an ex-member of Al-Qaeda and he was active in Afghanistan from 1988 until 1993. The suspect was also previously arrested in Egypt and Canada for his involvement in terrorism-related activities, as well as using fake travel documents, the IGP added.   Mohamad Fuzi said the second suspect, a 31-year-old Middle-Eastern man, was arrested at the KL International Airport on Oct 20.
"He had issued a death threat against a foreign diplomat in Kuala Lumpur, as well as suspected involvement in terrorism," he said. The third arrest was on a 31-year-old Pakistani man, a member of a south Asia-based terror group, Lashkar-E-Taiba. "He had weapons training with the terror group. We believe he entered Malaysia illegally in August 2016," he said. The fourth arrest is a 32-year-old Malaysian woman in Gombak on Oct 25.   
"She is suspected of channelling funds to slain militant leader Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi between 2014 and 2017. "The funds were meant for the cause of the IS," Mohamad Fuzi said.
The last suspect, who was arrested on Oct 26, is a 40-year-old Malaysian man, who works as a service manager at a telecommunication company in Kota Kinabalu. "We believe he has been channelling funds to Wanndy and another militant, Muhamad Fudhail Omar, as well as the Abu Sayyaf Group. "The funds were channelled between 2015 and 2018," he said. Four of the suspects were arrested under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), while another was detained under the Immigration Act.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=128402

Police wounded in Guihulngan attack

From the Negros Chronicle (Nov 3): Police wounded in Guihulngan attack

MEMBER of the Regional Mobile Force Batallion (RMFB)-7 was wounded after some 30 unidentified armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) opened fire at two detachment camps in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental Tuesday morning.

Wounded was Police Officer 1 Elvis John Lucasan. Senior Superintendent Raul Tacaca, director of Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo), said the first incident happened at 11 a.m. when 15 armed men opened fire at the detachment camp of RMFB-7 in Barangay Hinakpan. Tacaca said there was an ongoing construction of the 1st detachment camp of RMFB-7 when it happened.

Lucasan sustained a wound in his stomach. He was brought to a hospital.

A few minutes later, another burst of gunfire was heard at Camp Superintendent Arnel D. Arpon in Barangay Bulado.

The Camp Arpon was inaugurated on October 15 more than a year after the late city police chief was killed, together with his four other colleagues while engaging in a firefight with suspected NPA members in Sitio Masid-e, Barangay Magsaysay on July 21, 2017. They responded to a call for assistance from Councilor Edison de la Rita, who was also killed by the same perpetrators at Barangay Poblacion on April 2 this year.

Tacaca said the incident was considered harassment because there was no direct engagement between the policemen and the armed men since the assailants were situated 100 meters away from the two camps when it happened and police were able to retaliate from afar.

Authorities cannot yet establish if there were casualties on the side of the armed men though bloodstains were visible in the area. Tacaca said pursuit operation is ongoing.

Checkpoint operations were conducted as part of their preventive measures and control, he said.

Tacaca is also appealing to the community to help the police by providing the authorities with information regarding armed men sightings in their area.

https://negroschronicle.com/police-wounded-in-guihulngan-attack/

2 NPAs yield in ComVal

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 3): 2 NPAs yield in ComVal

The Focused Military Operations (FMOs) by the Philippine Army’s 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battallion (66th IB) in the hinterland of New Bataan, Compostela Valley resulted to the surrender of two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, Capt. Rodel N. Bacani, Civil Military Operation (CMO) officer of the 66th IB said.


(MANILA BULLETIN)

In a statement sent to the Manila Bulletin on Friday, Bacani said the two rebels voluntary surrendered.

“The two regular NPA members voluntarily surrendered after a troops from the 66th IB already seized the enemy position,” said Capt. Bacani.

Identities of the surrenderees were witheld due to an ongoing investigation.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/11/03/2-npas-yield-in-comval/