Sayyaf man yields, another captured

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A henchman of the Abu Sayyaf ring leaders surrendered yesterday to the military in Basilan while another was captured by alert policemen and soldiers in this city Thursday night.

Army Capt. Noel Detoyato, deputy spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Southern Command, identified the Abu Sayyaf man who surrendered as Iting Sailani, a sub-leader of Bakkal Hapilon.

Sailani, who is operating in Lantawan, gave up to the military in Maluso, Detoyato said.

Sailani claimed he was forced to yield to the military due to the hard life in the jungle with the continuous military operation against his group.

"He is presently undergoing tactical interrogation," Detoyato said, citing that the military could get vital information from Sailani being a commander of the Abu Sayyaf who is holding captive American couple Martin and Gracia Burnham.

The military said Sailani admitted to being an original member of the bandit group who joined the Abu Sayyaf when it was organized by its slain founder Ustadz Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani.

Sailani was also tagged as among those who joined the raid in Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur, sometime in 1995 where the bandits pillaged the town, killing more than 50 civilians.

Meanwhile, alert local policemen here captured another member of the Abu Sayyaf who was trying to slip into a bus terminal in Guiwan village in this city.

Detoyato identified the captured bandit as Arium Mustakin alias Abu Sakur, a resident of Barangay Sangali, east of this city.

Mustakin who worked under Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed bandit leader also known as Commander Putol, was nabbed by the Tetuan police and elements of Task Force Zamboanga around 9 p.m. Friday.

The military reported that many of the Abu Sayyaf rebels are slipping out of Sulu and Basilan due to the ongoing military operation against them.

"Before they have the thought that the operation will stop. But the operation will continue until the Abu Sayyaf is neutralized," Detoyato added.