ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The military has denied reports that Abu Sayyaf leader Nurhassan Jamiri was killed in a military operation in Sabah on Tuesday.
Jamiri is alive and being pursued by government troopers, Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief, said on Friday.
“He is not NJ,” Galvez said in a text message, referring to Jamiri when asked to comment on the report of Sabah authorities.
Galvez declined to give details so as not to jeopardize manhunt operations for Jamiri.
In a report, Datuk Hazani Ghazli, chief of the Eastern Sabah Security Command, said three militants, one of them believed to be Jamiri, were killed in a shootout with authorities in a plantation in Tawau.
Jamiri, who is wanted for a series of kidnappings, is based in Basilan.
Galvez assured the public that there is no letup in operations to neutralize the bandits and rescue their remaining hostages.
Guns custodian
surrenders
Meanwhile, an Abu Sayyaf bandit surrendered in Sulu on Friday while three others were arrested in this city on Thursday.
Ronnie Jamaari, 50, alias Apo Eting, 50, escaped last week after Marines seized a cache of firearms that he was guarding in Barangay Pitogo, Kalingalan Caluang town in Sulu last week. He is a follower of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Alhabsy Misaya.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said Jamaari turned over a Garand rifle to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 1 led by Lt. Col. Stephen Cabanlet.
Daud Bulan Sabdani, with aliases of Julhasin Hanwari and Nur; Hood Salvador Abdulla, alias Jiking, and a certain Kim were collared along Tetuan highway.
The arrests were based on warrants issued by local courts.
Sabdani is facing charges in connection with the kidnapping of Golden Harvest plantation workers in Barangay Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan on June 11, 2001.
Abdulla and Kim were tagged in the kidnapping of six members of the Jehovah’s Witness in Patikul, Sulu on Aug. 20, 2002.