Troops arrest Abu Sayyaf bandit in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Aug. 5 — Combined police and military operatives have arrested a suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit in a law enforcement operation in this city, a police official announced Saturday.

Chief Insp. Elmer Solon, Police Station 4 chief, identified the arrested suspect as Hamad Ajijul Susulan alias “Hajer Sailani” and “Ahmad.”

Solon said Susulan was arrested around 3:10 p.m. Friday in a law enforcement operation along the highway in Barangay Mercedes, this city.

He said the suspect has standing warrant of arrest for the crime of eight counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom issued by the court in Basilan province.

He said the suspect was involved in the kidnapping of workers on June 11, 2001 at the Golden Harvest Plantation in Barangay Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits seized eight plantation workers when they raided the plantation.

The bandits beheaded some of the workers while others were either rescued by government forces or managed to escape during the firefight. (TPGJR/PNA)

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