2 suspected Sayyaf men linked to 2002 kidnapping arrested

AFP FILE PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Authorities announced here on Monday the arrest of two suspected Abu Sayyaf members allegedly involved in the August 2002 abduction of six members of the Jehovah’s Witness religious sect in Sulu. Two of the victims were later beheaded while the rest were able to escape.

Colonel Andrelino Colina, commander of the Task Force Zamboanga, said Haridjan Mussali Jinny, alias Kim, and Jumadil Jamran Usman, alias Ondil, were arrested in separate operations here on Saturday and Sunday.

Jinny was arrested on Mercado Street around 4:50 p.m. Saturday while Usman was arrested during a follow-up operation last Sunday on the Sinunuc Highway around 5 p.m., Colina said.

He said members of the Western Mindanao police’s regional intelligence unit monitored the whereabouts of the two suspected Abu Sayyaf members and arrested them on the strength of arrest warrants issued by the courts earlier.

The suspects face six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in the sala of Judge Toribio Ilao Jr. of the Pasay Regional Trial Court, Colina said.

He said the two suspects were among three Abu Sayyaf gunmen captured here since last month.

On April 23, Nabil Tahali Idjiran, alias Abu Darren, another suspected Abu Sayyaf member allegedly involved in the 2000 Sipadan hostage crisis was arrested in Barangay (village) Baliwasan.

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