TWO alleged Abu Sayyaf bandits were arrested in a joint police and military operation in Zamboanga City Wednesday.
Police Major Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the arrested bandits as Mergan Esteban Cabil, 24, and Basher Tilani Tuwa, 34.
Galvez said the joint police and military team served a search warrant against them at around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, October 16, 2019, in Sitio Asinan in the village of Kasanyangan, Zamboanga City.
Galvez said confiscated from them were two caliber .45 pistols with ammunition and one fragmentation grenade.
The suspects are allegedly followers of the Abu Sayyaf Groups’ Urban Terrorist Group headed by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.
Sawadjaan’s group has been linked to kidnapping and gun-for-hire activities in Sulu, Basilan and neighboring provinces. (SunStar Zamboanga)