By Teofilo Garcia Jr. | Philippine News Agency
Authorities arrested a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) involved in various incidents of violence here and in the provinces of Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay, the police said on Sunday, June 1.
In a statement, Col. Fidel Fortaleza Jr., director of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), identified the arrested ASG member as Isnaji Hasim, 34, a follower of ASG Urban Terrorist Unit leader Ibni Acosta.
Fortaleza said Hasim was arrested by joint police and military operatives on Saturday (May 31) in Purok 4, Barangay Muti, following an operation for violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act.
“The arrested person is allegedly involved in gun-running activities and the distribution of illegal drugs,” Fortaleza said.
Seized from Hasim were a hand grenade, .40-mm grenade ammunition, 5.56-mm rifle bullets, and gun accessories.
In this city, Fortaleza said the suspect was linked to the killing of a couple in Barangay Buenavista in 2023; the massacre of eight fisherfolk at Siromon Island, Barangay Dita in 2019; and the roadside bombing in Sitio Marangan, Barangay Muti in 2015.
The suspect is also implicated in the kidnapping of two Chinese nationals, Jian Luo and Jampong Linyuan, in 2024 in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay; and the abduction and beheading of Doroteo Gonzales in Basilan in 2009.
Intelligence reports also indicate that Hasim participated in a series of firefights against government forces in Basilan province. (PNA)
