A SUB-LEADER of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group and three of his men were killed in a firefight with government troops in Sulu yesterday.
The slain sub-leader, Injam Yadah, had been blamed for a series of kidnappings of Filipinos and foreigners and for incidents of beheading in Mindanao and in Malaysia.
Also killed was Al-Al Sawadjaan, youngest brother of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan who had been tagged by authorities as mastermind of several suicide bombings in the province. The military’s Joint Task Force Sulu (JTF Sulu) said Al-Al is a bomb maker and has volunteered to become a suicide bomber.
The third fatality was identified only as alias “Raup.” The fourth has yet to be identified.
Troops also also took in Yadah’s wife, Jhing, for questioning, and rescued the couple’s three children, aged 14, 10 and two.
“We’ve long been on the hunt for Yadah. He has a reputation of being extremely violent, beheading captured innocent civilians and security forces alike,” said JTF Sulu commander Maj. Gen. William Gonzales.
Troops from the JTF Sulu, augmented by policemen, swooped down on Yadah’s house in Barangay Alat in Jolo at around 2 a.m. to serve a warrant against Yadah for murder and kidnapping.
Yadah and his men sensed the presence of the troops and opened fire on them. The troops returned fire, killing the four Abu Sayyaf men in the process.
Seized during the operation were an M653 Carbine, a cal. 45 pistol, components for improvised explosive devices, and 15 mobile phones.
Officials said Yadah was involved in kidnapping of foreigners and Filipinos, including five Indonesians who were seized off Tambisan in Malaysia in January last year.
One of the Indonesians was shot dead by his captors while trying to escape, during a clash with soldiers in Patikul, Sulu in September last year. The four others were rescued in Tawi-Tawi by the military last March.
The military said Yadah was also behind the kidnapping of Filipino-American Rex Triplett in Sirawai, Zamboanga Sibugay in September last year and Dr. Daniel Moreno in Jolo, Sulu in February last year.
Triplett was rescued by government troops a couple of weeks after he was kidnapped. Moreno was released by his captors at least a month after he was taken.
Yadah also figured in the kidnapping of the former wife and a daughter of former Talipao, Sulu mayor Tambrin Tulawie in June 2018 in Talipao town. The victims were rescued 16 hours later.
In November last year, another brother of Mundi Sawadjaan, Madsmar, was also killed along with six other Abu Sayyaf members during a military operation off Sulare Island in Parang, Sulu.
“All the forces under JTF-Sulu are doubling their efforts to apprehend Mundi Sawadjaan. His brothers are now dead and we are optimistic that he will also be neutralized,” said Gonzales.
Aside from Al-Al, Mundi has five other siblings.
The military said 121 Abu Sayyaf men have been neutralized this year. Eighteen of the 121 were killed, 86 surrendered and 17 were apprehended.
