Abu Sayyaf sub-leader nabbed in Basilan

Authorities arrested an alleged Abu Sayyaf sub-leader implicated in various crimes during an operation in Sumisip, Basilan, on Tuesday, a military official said.

Imran Daiyong Mijal, an alleged leader of the Abu Sayyaf’s “urban terrorist group,” was arrested after a brief gunfight in Brgy. Marang-marang, around 5:20 p.m, said Lieutenant Colonel Eliglen Villaflor, commander of the Army’s 4th Special Forces Battalion (SFB).

Elements of the 4th SFB apprehended Mijal on a warrant of arrest for frustrated murder, in coordination with the 64th Infantry Battalion and the Sumisip Police, Villaflor said in a statement.

Mijal, who uses the alias Boh, is also known to have participated in bombings, liquidations, kidnappings, ambuscades, and extortion, the military official said.

While troops were serving the warrant, Mijal resisted by firing his high-powered firearm so soldiers retaliated, Villaflor said.

Mijal was apprehended after he suffered a bullet wound to the right arm and was given first aid, he said.

Soldiers recovered from Mijal an M16-A1 rifle with one magazine and 48 rounds of ammunition, a rifle grenade, a caliber-.45 pistol, four more magazines, and 23 more rounds of ammunition. (John Roson)

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More troops sent to Basilan; Army chief checks soldiers’ morale

The Army sent additional troops to Basilan after the clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members that left 19 soldiers killed, a military spokesman confirmed Saturday.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, meanwhile, visited the troops in the island-province to check on their “morale.”

Lieutenant Col. Randolph Cabangbang, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command spokesman, said some 100 members of the Army Special Forces arrived in Zamboanga City “last week” en route to Basilan.

“Regular deployment ‘yun, galing Manila, sakay ng C-130… ‘yung dumating last week nandun na sa Basilan,” Cabangbang said in a phone interview.

“(There is) no let up against lawless elements even in Basilan,” Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said for his part.

Meanwhile, Ortiz flew to Basilan Saturday after arriving from Indonesia. It was his first visit to the province after Col. Ramon Yogyog was installed as commander of Special Operations Task Force Basilan last Saturday, replacing Col. Alexander Macario.

“Bibisita siya (Ortiz) doon to assess the situation, hear the sentiments of the soldiers… to hear feedbacks from the soldiers,” Cabunoc said. (John Roson)

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