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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf leader jugged |
| 2004-08-01 |
| Government troops have captured a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf group implicated in the kidnapping of dozens of civilians in the southern Philippines, the military said yesterday. Soldiers swooped down late Friday on a ferry boat off Tawi-Tawi province and arrested Binang Andang, tagged as one of the leaders of the group that kidnapped American Jeffrey Craig Schilling in 2001. The 25-year old Californian was with his Filipino fiance in the island of Jolo, about 950 kms south of Manila, when the Abu Sayyf took him hostage. Officials said Andang was also involved in the kidnappings of 53 mostly students and teachers in the nearby island of Basilan in 2000. The military said assorted weapons and explosives were seized from Andang during Friday's raid by members of an anti-terrorist task force unit under Marine Col. Juancho Saban. Andang as a one-million-peso bounty on his head and is included in the government's most wanted man. Andang was cited as a relative of detained Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot, who was captured last year during a gunbattle in Jolo. The military's Southern Command earlier said that it had foiled bombing attempts by the Abu Sayyaf group with the arrest of three of the extremist group's members. Maj. Gen. Generoso Senga, chief of Southern Command, said the trio, one of them Nidjal Pajiran who is believed to be a sub-leader, were also planning to resume their kidnap for ransom activities. Pajiran was reportedly working under the group of Abu Solaiman, one of four Abu Sayyaf leaders wanted by the United States for the killing of US hostage Martin Burnham in June 2002. The military identified the two others as Musar Ansar and Abrar Engliong. The duo were said to be Abu Sayyaf bombers and that their arrest had foiled an attack in Zamboanga City. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |