Suspected Abu Sayyaf man shot dead after trying to snatch guard’s gun

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit who was reportedly involved in at least one deadly raid in Sabah and who was arrested by police authorities in Tawi-Tawi on August 26, had died after trying to wrestle a gun from a security personnel.

Chief Superintendent Noel delos Reyes, the police chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer via text message on Saturday night that Mobin Sahibudin Hailil, alias Apo Kahumbo, was shot dead in the process.

He said Hailil was being brought back to the Tawi-Tawi provincial jail in Bongao town when he suddenly tried to wrestle the gun of one of the escorts around 11 a.m. on Friday.

“That gave reason to the security team to shoot the suspect that resulted in his instantaneous death,” Delos Reyes said.

Even if he was not visibly breathing anymore, Delos Reyes said the security team still brought Hailil to the Tawi-Tawi provincial hospital, also in Bongao, but doctors there said he was already dead.

Aside from being the Abu Sayyaf’s “navigator,” who was instrumental in transferring kidnap victims from Sabah to Sulu, Hailil reportedly took part in the July 12 raid on a Malaysian diving resort.

A policeman was killed while another one was kidnapped during that raid.