Abu Sayyaf still engaged in kidnapping — military

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military admitted yesterday that it has not totally dismantled the Abu Sayyaf group and that it continues to operate transnational kidnapping activities at the Philippine-Malaysian border.

A military official, however, said the hunt for the bandit group has been intensified in Tawi-Tawi island.

The militarypresented yesterday one of the seven captured Abu Sayyaf members involved in transnational kidnapping and the mass abduction of teachers and students in Basilan sometime in March 2000 during a briefing at the military headquarters here.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko and Commodore George Uy, Naval Forces Western Mindanao commander identified Munib Albani Mahid as one who was positively pinpointed to have participated the Lahad Datu kidnapping in the state of Sabah.

Kyamko admitted that despite the fall of the lair of the bandit in Omapuy island, the group has not been dismantled as the rest of the bandits who managed to escape are believed to be still hiding in one of the many islands that composed the channels near the Malaysian border.

"Maybe at this point they area has been dismantled but there are so many islands that they can hide near the border," Kyamko said.

"We continue to trail them," Kyamko added as offensives continued. — Roel Pareño