Abu Sayyaf man captured

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A suspected Abu Sayyaf member was captured and locked up at the city reformatory center here yesterday, according to a military official.

Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag, Naval Forces Western Mindanao-Combined (NFWM-C) chief, identified the captured suspect as Majid Abbas, 26, a native of Sitio Karagasan, Barangay Maasin, east of this city.

Abbas was captured by the joint police and marine intelligence elements against the group of Abu Sayyaf who were suspected to be casing for kidnapping victims on Tuesday.

Marayag said Abbas’ group led by a certain Puraji, an Abu Sayyaf follower of slain militant chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani based in Basilan, managed to escape during the raid at their safehouse.

“The rest of the Abu Sayyaf ran away and escaped but Abbas was cornered,” Marayag said.

He said the target of the raid was Puraji, a known kidnap for ransom group leader of the Abu Sayyaf.

The raiding security forces recovered from Abbas a .45 caliber pistol, a fragmentation grenade, four sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride known as shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Abbas was inquested yesterday at the Hall of Justice and locked up at the City Reformatory Center with a recommended bail of P200,000, according to Marayag.