Zamboanga City police nab 2 suspected Abu Sayyaf members

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Two suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf were arrested in separate raids in west coast villages in Zamboanga City Tuesday night. 

 

The arrest brings to three the number of suspected Abu Sayyaf members nabbed in the city since martial law was declared in Mindanao on May 23.

 

Arrested were siblings Al Hamed Manalas Abdurahman, 37, and Murasidol Manalas Abdurahman, 32, according to City Police Office OIC Superintendent Diomarie Albarico.

 

Albarico said the raiding forces led by Chief Insp. Elmer Solon arrested the elder Abdurahman first. He was served a search warrant about 6:40p.m in a subdivision in Barangay Maasin.

 

The arresting team confiscated five M16 magazines, nine bullets and a bolt assembly for an M16 rifle.

 

The team of later raided the house of Murasidol and arrested him at 7 p.m. when they served a search warrant in another subdivision in nearby Barangay Ayala.

 

Albarico said security forces recovered a fragmentation grenade,  three blasting caps and a small bottle of what they believe to be C4 from Murasidol.

 

Murasidol, alias Ted Amman Abdurajic and Teddung, admitted under tactical interrogation that he became an Abu Sayyaf member under sub-leader Idang Susukan in 2014.

 

The arrests came barely hours after coast guard personnel nabbed suspected Abu Sayyaf member Kimhar Asusi, alias Abu Kimar, 32, a native of Barangay Bawisan, Parang town, Sulu.

 

Asusi, who came from Jolo on a passenger ferry allegedly attempted to sneak into the city with other passengers but was stopped after he failed to show any identification card.

 

The city is strictly implementing a ‘No ID, No Entry’ policy to prevent terrorists from sneaking into the city for diversionary attacks.

 

Pedro Rufo ‘Pocholo’ Soliven, the Zamboanga City-based regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has said the business sector supports martial law and the stricter security measures to create a peaceful business climate for investment.