ZAMBOANGA CITY — Another member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrendered amid the intensified combat operations against them in the province of Sulu, the military reported Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the ASG surrenderee as Jupakkal Usman, 50, a resident of Barangay Lahing-Lahing, Omar municipality.
Sobejana said Usman surrendered at around 6 a.m. Tuesday to the Marine Battalion Landing Team-1 (MBLT-1) led by Lt. Col. Stephen Cabanlet of the Philippine Marines Ready Fleet-2.
He said Usman, a follower of the late ASG sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya, turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle with ammunition.
Usman was taken to the headquarters of Joint Task Force Sulu for custodial debriefing.
“The continued pressure employed by the troops on the ground, encourages more Abu Sayyaf members to cross the line (and surrender),” Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said.
Usman was the 66th ASG member to surrender in the province of Sulu. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
