Hijack suspect nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A suspect in a hijacking off the waters of Basilan was wounded and arrested in a military operation on Thursday.

Members of Joint Task Force Basilan led by Col. Juvymax Uy recovered an assault rifle and three speedboats following an encounter with the suspects in the waters off Barangay Candiis in Muhammad Ajul town.  

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Western Mindanao Command chief, clarified earlier reports that the suspects took four crewmembers of a cargo vessel. He said only Aurelio Agacac and Laurencio Tiro, captain and chief engineer of M/Tug R9, tugboat of Super Shuttle Ro-Ro 9, a cargo vessel of Panamanian registry, were seized. 

Lt. Cmdr. Alvin Dagalea, Philippine Coast Guard station commander, said a PCG gunboat was deployed to secure the cargo vessel. The tugboat was anchored near R.T. Lim Boulevard.

Pursuit operations for the suspects are ongoing.