ZAMBOANGA CITY–The police have arrested a follower of Isnilon Hapilon, the self-style ’emir’ of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) for Asia who was killed in a law enforcement operation last year, a police official said.
Chief Supt. Billy Beltran, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested Abu Sayyaf follower as Hadji Gahis Attika, a resident of Sumisip, Basilan province.
Beltran said Attika was arrested around 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Recodo, 14.45 kilometers west of City Hall through a warrant of arrest for kidnapping.
Beltran said Attika belong to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) based in Basilan province led by Isnilon Hapilon.
Hapilon was killed in a firefight on October 16, 2017 as the government forces were about to liberate Marawi City from the hands of the ISIS and Maute group who occupied several areas of that city.
Beltran said Attika has standing warrant of arrest for six-count kidnapping with serious illegal detention for his alleged involvement in the raid of the Golden Harvest Plantation in Barangay Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan on June 11, 2001.
The ASG executed by beheading five of the 15 workers they seized during the raid while the remaining 10 have either escaped or rescued by pursuing military forces.
Attika was placed under the custody of the 904th Mobile Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-9. (PNA)
