An Indonesian member of the Al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist organization was among six Muslim terrorists killed in a sea clash with troops off Tawi-Tawi province early this month, officials said yesterday. The Army, Navy, and Marines were involved in the gunbattle that killed the six Muslims aboard a motorboat in the waters off Balingbing in Panglima Sugala town, Tawi-Tawi, Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said. He said Indonesian terrorist suspect Gufran, also known as Abu Samur, who allegedly belonged to the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, was among the dead. Five Filipino members of Abu Sayyaf also were killed, he added. Four of them were identified as Abu Hubaida, Jundam Jamalul alias Black Killer, Ibrahim Hassan alias Abu Muksin, and Gadar Abubakar. Gufran was a key aide of Dulmatin, a top Indonesian terror suspect who has been hunted by troops in a months-long US-backed offensive on Jolo island, he said.
Marine commander Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban said captured members of the Abu Sayyaf identified the dead men, many of whom were aides of leaders of the group. Sabban said all indications were that top Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah members, including bomb-makers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, were still on Jolo or its surrounding islands. Both are wanted for assembling and detonating bombs on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002, killing more than 200 people.
Gufran's reported death bolsters military reports that Indonesian terrorists have taken refuge in the southern Philippines. One of the Filipinos killed was Jamalul, one of 17 Abu Sayyaf members, including the groupÂ’s chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, who are wanted by the US for attacks on American citizens. US and Philippine authorities have offered a reward of $20,000 (about P1,000,000) for JamalulÂ’s capture.
Another ranking Abu Sayyaf member, Abu Hubaida, and two key aides of Janjalani and prominent Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Sulaiman were also killed in the clash. Troops recovered two M16 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, and huge amounts of ammunition on the rebels boat, Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan said. Troops were pursuing the terror suspects but they managed to flee from Jolo earlier. Marines spotted and engaged the group Saturday in a firefight off Tawi-Tawi, he said.
An officer involved in the assault said the military had information that the slain terrorists were planning to carry out kidnappings in Tawi-Tawi to raise funds. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.