Abu Sayyaf man in Sipadan hostage crisis killed in Basilan

Members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf believed to be behind the 2000 Sipadan hostage crisis. (AP FILE PHOTO / REY BAYOGING)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – An Abu Sayyaf member involved in the 2000 Sipadan hostage crisis was killed during a police operation in Basilan on Wednesday, police said.

Senior Supt. Nickson Muksan, Basilan police chief, said Mobin Kulin alias Mulawin, was being arrested by elements of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region on Tapiantana Island in Tabuan Lasa town on the basis of several warrants but he violently resisted.

Aside from involvement in the Sipadan hostage-taking, Muksan said Kulin was also tagged in the June 2, 2001 siege of Lamitan and the kidnapping at the Golden Harvest Plantation in Lantawan town about a week later.

He said Kulin was a high value target whose capture carried a reward of P600,000.

“He fought back and was killed,” Muksan said.

Last week, soldiers and policemen also killed a suspected kidnap leader in Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur.

The military’s Western Mindanao Command based here said in a statement that Fahad Andi, the leader of the Andi group “known to be responsible for the resurgence of drug pushing, trafficking, and kidnap for ransom activities in Dinas, Lapuyan, Margosatubig and other neighboring municipalities in Zamboanga del Sur,” was killed during a 30-minute gunfight with elements of the local police and the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan in Barangay Pampang in Lapuyan on March 6.

Two policemen were also injured in the clash.

Among those recovered from the scene of the clash was a .45-pistol, a grenade and a green shirt marked with the logo of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police.

Westmincom said Andi was among the top wanted persons in Western Mindanao.  SFM/rga