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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf member captured in the Philippines |
| 2006-03-15 |
| Government soldiers captured a second Abu Sayyaf member in a continuing operation against the al Qaeda-linked terror group, blamed for the spate of bombings and kidnappings of foreigners in the southern Philippines, officials said Tuesday. Major Gamal Hayudini, a spokesman for the Southern Command, said military intelligence agents nabbed Julkaram Hadjail on Monday in Jolo island. "Hadjail is believed to be an ammo and food courier of the Abu Sayyaf. He is now being interrogated," Hayudini said. He did not say if the terror man was carrying weapons when security agents captured him in downtown Jolo town. Fighting also erupted Monday between security and Abu Sayyaf forces in Jolo's Patikul, where Hadjail's group is operating, Hayudini said. "There were no reports of casualties, but troops are pursuing the group of senior Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Jul Asbi Jalmaani," he said. It was unknown if Hadjail's arrest was connected with the clashes. The military earlier announced the capture of senior Abu Sayyaf commander Burham Sali, also known as Commander Abu Sanny, linked to the killings in 2001 of kidnapped US citizens and Filipino hostages in the southern Philippines. Major General Agustin Dema-ala, commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said security forces raided an Abu Sayyaf hideout in Facoma village in Parang town in Maguindanao province and arrested Sali, who is facing a string of kidnapping and murder charges in Basilan island. Dema-ala implicated Sali to the killing of Kansas missionary Martin Burnham and California man Guillermo Sobero and several Filipino hostages in Basilan island. Sali escaped a massive military operation in Basilan in 2002 and hid in central Mindanao until security forces tracked him down Sunday. Many of those kidnapped, including Catholic priest Roel Gallardo, were tortured and beheaded, and the women raped by their captors, a military dossier on Sali's group said. Sobero, Burham and his wife Gracia, and 17 other Filipino holiday-goers were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf group on May 2001 and brought to Basilan island. Sobero was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf and a year later Martin Burnham died in a US-led military rescue while his wife was wounded. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |