2 Sayyaf men slain

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – An Abu Sayyaf leader and his close-in security were killed in a shootout with police and military operatives at a resort in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, a military official said yesterday. 

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief, identified the fatalities as Ninok Sappari, leader of the Abu Sayyaf’s Urban Terror Group, and Mahdi Abdurahman. 

Galvez said the bandits were spotted at Almadi Beach Resort in Barangay Panut while scouting for possible targets for kidnapping.

Abdurahman died at the scene at around 2 p.m. Sappari, though wounded, managed to escape, but was killed in a follow-up operation in Barangay Nali at around 9:30 p.m.

“The suspects were staying at the resort and casing their possible targets,” Galvez said. 

He said Sappari was tagged in the killing of soldiers in Sulu and several kidnapping incidents.