Police intelligence agents and commandos arrested a sub-leader of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in a raid yesterday in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan.
Police Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the suspect, identified as Hadji Faisal Abdulkarim, is wanted for the killing of a barangay official six years ago when ASG men burned several houses in Barangay Bulo-Bulo in Sumisip, Basilan.
“Abdulkarim is the sub-leader of the ASG-Dawlah Islamiyah Basilan Group operating under ASG leader Radzmil Jannatul, who succeeded deceased Basilan ASG Leader Furuji Indama,” said Sinas.
Sinas said the suspect is the subject of two separate warrants of arrest for the crimes of murder and multiple arson.
Abdulakrim is known to harbor wounded ASG fighters from Sulu in his makeshift medical station in Basilan where arresting operatives also found assorted medical supplies.
“We are subjecting a mobile phone recovered from him to digital forensic examination to determine his links with other known terrorist personalities and possible foreign fund sources,” said Sinas.
The raiding team seized three assault rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, and live rounds of 40mm grenade ammunition inside the house of Abdulkarim in Barangay Matata during the raid at around 2 a.m.
“This is part of ongoing intensified legal offensive initiatives against local terrorist personalities wanted by the court,” said Sinas. (Aaron Recuenco)
