THE government forces have seized a camp of a top Abu Sayyaf leader early Thursday hours after heavy bombardment in the hinterlands of Sulu, a top military official announced.
Brigadier General Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said the camp was seized around 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the village of Darayan, Patikul hours after they shelled the encampment with artilleries.
Arrojado said the camp seized by the troops from the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion belongs to the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron.
Sahiron is the senior among the existing leaders of the Abu Sayyaf bandits based in the province of Sulu.
Arrojado said some of the followers of Sahiron were wounded during the shelling as bloodstains were found in their withdrawal path towards the village of Danag, also in Patikul.
He said the newly-abandoned camp can accommodate around 300 people.
He said the troops have recovered cooking utensils and parts of an AK-47 rifle.
Meanwhile, combined police and military operatives have arrested one of the notorious member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in downtown Zamboanga City.
Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City police director, identified the arrested suspect as Arasad Saidjuwan also known as Arasad Amin Sahid, who carries the aliases of Abu Ayob, Mara and Amama.
Casimiro said Saidjuwan, a Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf member, was arrested around 9:30 a.m. Thursday along Zaragoza Street, downtown Zamboanga.
Casimiro said Saidjuwan had just disembarked from a ferry coming from Basilan province when the lawmen spotted him, thus he was arrested.
He said Saidjuwan has standing warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by a Court in Isabela City, Basilan.
He disclosed the arrested suspect was involved in the kidnapping of farm workers on June 11, 2001 at Golden Harvest Plantation in the village of Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan province.
At that time, the Abu Sayyaf have seized 11 plantation workers and beheaded three of the hostages.
The other captives were either released or rescued during military offensive.