3 Abu Sayyaf members captured

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Three suspected Abu Sayyaf members believed to have participated in the Sipadan hostage crisis were captured in Sulu by the military yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, Sulu military commander, said troops were on offensive operation when they caught the three suspected Abu Sayyaf members in the remote village of Barangay Lappah, Maimbung town.

Maimbung is known as the area where the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot, operates.

Aleo identified the suspects as Jundan Jawad, 30; Binnayan Abraham, 19; and Ingkas Abbis, 50, who are all reportedly followers of Andang.

"The spotters positively identified the suspects who are all members of Andang’s group," Aleo said.

Andang’s group spearheaded the raid in a Sipadan dive resort off Sabah, Malaysia on April 23, 2000 where they seized 21 people, mostly European and Malaysian tourists plus two Filipino resort workers, and took them to Sulu as hostages.

The bandits released their captives in batches after the alleged payment of huge ransom in dollars after holding the victims for five months.

Roland Ullah, the last Sipadan captive gained his freedom only last June 4 after more than three years in captivity when he escaped from his Abu Sayyaf captors.

Aleo said the three captured Abu Sayyaf suspects were placed on tactical interrogation at the military headquarters in Sulu.

There were reports that two Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah members arrived in Sulu and trained the Abu Sayyaf but fled last March as soldiers intensified the offensive to rescue the last batches of hostages.