Philippine authorities are holding an Abu Sayyaf militant identified as one of those who kidnapped a group of Filipino evangelists in 2002 in the southern town of Patikul.Security forces on Thursday captured Ustadz Nijal Pajiran alias Abu Kudama, in the village of Tictapul. Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca said Pajiran is facing a number of criminal charges in connection with the ransom kidnappings of 6 members of the Jehovah's Witnesses -- two of them were later decapitated by the Abu Sayyaf after their family failed to pay the ransoms and the rest freed during a military rescue operation. He said,"Pajiran will be immediately flown to Manila for subsequent turnover to the court."
No further details were made available, but Huesca said Pajiran's capture was the result of lengthy intelligence operations by various law enforcement agencies and the military.