A JOINT team of policemen and soldiers arrested before dawn Thursday four suspected Abu Sayyaf bombers and seized an improvised explosive device (IED) and IED components in Baliwasan, Zamboanga City.

Police Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) director, said the suspects were arrested after they were served a search warrant around 3 a.m. Thursday, September 26, in their rented house in Manggal Drive.

Martir identified the suspects as Aljiver Habibula, 35; Omar Julaspih, 22; Rody Marail, 36; and, Nash Amik, 32, all natives of Sulu.

Martir said the arrested suspects are believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf’s Urban Terrorist Group (UTG) operating in Basilan, Sulu, and Zamboanga City.

Martir said the raiding team recovered from the rented house of the suspects the following: four non-electric blasting caps; one electric blasting cap; five 40-millimeter ammunition; detonating cord; 500 milliliter plastic bottle filled with ammonium nitrate fuel oil; one cellular phone fashioned out as a triggering device; electric tape; electric wire (stranded with different colors); magnetic wire; common nail; and a bamboo container filled with white granules believed to be ammonium nitrate. (SunStar Philippines)