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SANDAKAN – The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) has added the commander of the violent Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) based in Sulu, southern Philippines, and a bomb expert in its wanted list in an update made this month.
The list now has 20 individuals connected to ASG, which has been involved in kidnap-for-ransom crimes in areas under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), said ESSCom Commander DCP Hamzah Ahmad in a statement today.
Madjid Said @ Ammah Pattit, who is the most senior member of the Daulah Islamiyah (Islamic State) network in Sulu, has been acting as the ASG head after his predecessor Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan died following a confrontation with government troops in July 2020.
Hatib’s nephew Mudzrimar @ Mundi Sawadjaan, a sub-leader in ASG, is known to be skilled in making bombs.
Mudzrimar is suspected to be the brain behind a planned bombing of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo Island in southwestern Philippines on January 27, 2019. Two bombs exploded in the incident, killing 20 people, leaving 102 others injured.
Mudzrimar is also suspected to have planned bombings in Jolo on August 24, 2020, that killed 14 people and wounded 75 others.
Three other new names added to the list are suspected to be the “keepers” of a kidnapping incident in waters off Tambisan Island in Sabah. They are Ahadin Hussein, Ellam Sajirin @ Nasirin, and Ismurah Jirah.
The other 15 individuals who remain in the wanted list are Salip Mura, Al Munjir Yadah, Ben Tatoh Quirino, Basaron Arok, Mujimar Sawadjaan @ Rasad, Marajan @ Manajan Asiri, Jul Aksan Abdurajan @ Halimaw, Jul @ Jun Hasan, Barok Undog @ Alvin, Hamsan Pakkan @ Black Cobra, Sabri Madrasul @ Salip Jul, Hadji Wahad @ Talip, Tampi @ Bunju, Haibin Mubin @ Apo Kuhambo and Sangbas Parisko.
Meanwhile, five individuals have been removed from the wanted list as they were shot dead by the Philippine security forces.
They are Apo Mike @ Majan Sahidjuan, Raden Abuh, Long Sahirin, Japs Sawadjaan @ Musafar Sawadjaan and Halopa.
Hamzah said that ESSCom will enhance its special operations to trace the criminals, and launch integrated land and sea operations to eradicate cross-border crimes in ESSZone.
He asked members of the public who have any information on any of the individuals in the wanted list to contact ESSCom’s operation centre at 089-863-181 or send a message on WhatsApp to 011-6331-1072.
In August last year, then Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali had announced the arrest of 11 individuals allegedly linked to ASG and the fatal shooting of two other suspects by security personnel around Pulau Timbang. Hazani is now federal security and public order director.
He had then said that ASG members were planning to kidnap wealthy estate owners for ransom while living within an oil palm plantation community in Sabah.
He had cautioned that there may be more Abu Sayyaf militants hiding in Sabah. – The Vibes, January 27, 2022
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