Sayyaf bomb expert captured

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Marine troopers captured an Abu Sayyaf assassin and bomb expert during a raid in Jolo, Sulu last Monday.

Julkaram Maron Hadjail, who is trained as a demolition man of the Abu Sayyaf’s urban terrorist group, was nabbed hours after the military intelligence agents captured another Abu Sayyaf terrorist, Burham Sali in Parang town.

Sali was tagged in the kidnapping of tourists and resort workers from the Dos Palmas resort Palawan on May 27, 2001.

"Hadjail is an Abu Sayyaf-UTG member and a courier of ammunition and food supplies of their group in Patikul," said Maj. Gamal Hayudini, Armed Forces Southern Command information chief.

Two days earlier, the Marines 64th Force Reconnaissance Company also encountered an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf terrorists under sub-leader Jul Asbi Jalmaani in Barangay Darayan, Patikul.

Marine Col. Juancho Sabban, 3rd Marine Brigade commander, said the Abu Sayyaf suffered no casualty as they managed to elude the Marines.

The series of arrests and encounter with the Abu Sayyaf came more than a week after the US forces involved in the Balikatan 2006 pulled out their forces upon completion of the exercise in Sulu.

The Balikatan 2006 that officially ended March 6 left many areas in Sulu with various humanitarian projects, including schools and water system and well.

Local officials in Sulu believed that the Abu Sayyaf were forced to hide with the presence of the US troops and the possibility they would be caught by the high-tech security and surveillance of US troops. — Roel Pareño