Saturday, August 14, 2004 Navy raid yields high-powered guns in suspected Abu lair
THE Naval Task force troops in Tawi-tawi swooped down on a suspected Abu Sayyaf lair in South Ubian and recovered their abandoned weapons, according to a military report reaching the Southern Command Friday.
The latest offensive mounted by the elements of the Naval Task Force, under Navy Captain Feliciano Angue, came early this week upon tips from residents in the area on the presence of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in their locality.
"They managed to escape on time before we could corner them. But six of their high-powered firearms were left behind as they quickly eluded us", according to a navy source in the area when reached by Sunstar Zamboanga.
Angue vowed to track down the outlaws in the area in line with their relentless campaign against the terrorist group in Tawi-Tawi.
Nevertheless, despite their intensified operation against the terrorists' hideout in Tawi-Tawi, they have yet to establish the exact whereabouts of the bandits' three remaining Asian hostages seized last May from their tugboat Ocean 2, which was towing pebbles-loaded barge towards Solomon Island in Sabah, Malaysia.
Angue vowed to secure their immediate release upon sighting of their captors believed to have kept them on constant mobile to elude the pursuing troops.
Their last possible hideout was believed to be in Languyan, where the troops slew Abu Sayyaf bandits leader Amir Bakil said to be the mastermind in the abduction of the three Asian sailors composed of the Indonesian skipper and his two Malaysian crew.
Angue said they are still verifying the reported death of one hostage due to sickness based on an unconfirmed account of the natives in the island.
Commander Milingkong, who took over the slain Bakil, is now holding the three captives, demanding P10 million, reduced from the original demand of P40 million.
A Filipino businessman based in Malaysia is trying to broker for their release, according to Angue, who described the reported negotiator as suspicious in character, who left the country long time ago, following the death of a powerful politician in Tawi-tawi.
Angue said they suspected him as behind the kidnap for ransom (KFR) activities of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Tawi-Tawi. (Jun Feliciano)
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