Gov't forces raid terror camp, kill 5 Abus, rescue Chinese

kidnap victim, capture bombing suspect in Zamboanga City

In photos are Western Mindanao police regional director Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles, Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, Undersecretary Felizardo Serapio Jr. of the Law Enforcement Security Integrated Office, Brig. Gen. Eugenio Clemen of the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command, and captured Abu Sayyaf member Sambri Aslon Kamlon alias Abu Zaid, and rescued Chinese kidnapped victim Yuan-Kai Lin. Also the seized a cache of high-powered firearms, bullets and other items from kidnappers.  HADER GLANG

Government security forces raided a terror camp of the Abu Sayyaf group and killed a number of them as well as rescued the last of two remaining kidnapped Chinese national and seized a cache of firearms, ammunitions, explosives, and documents being used for terrorist/dissident training in Barangay Calabasa, Curuan District, east coast of Zamboanga City last Thursday.

The raid including the rescue was initiated by the anti-terrorism task force "Sanglahi" and carried out by elements of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, 84th Special Special Action Company of the PNP Special Action Force, Anti-Kidnapping Group, Police Regional Intelligence Unit 9, Zamboanga City Police Office, Naval Intelligence Security Group-Western Mindanao, 3rd Explosive and Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Philippine Army, and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime.

Western Mindanao police regional director Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles said the raid resulted in the rescue of  Yuan-Kai Lin and the killing of five kidnappers as well as the capture of one of the suspects in the bombing of rural bus transit and wounding of undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf group members.

The rescued Chinese national was kidnapped along with companion Jian Luo alias James Luo by armed men in the towm of Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay Province while trading for mineral ore last June 4, 2012. His companion, Mr. Luo, was freed August 26, 2012 by their kidnappers in Arena Blanco after reportedly paying P5 million ransom.

Estilles identified three of the slain kidnappers as Termije Ajijul and his wife Sitti Raja Salvin, Abu Ulm, Arab-Arab and Banah-Banah who belonged to the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Khair Mundos who, according to the raiding team, was wounded but managed to escape. He also identified the captured bombing suspect as  Sambri Aslon Kamlon alias Abu Zaid, who was caught during the raid.

"Khair Mundos is the number 2 Abu Sayyaf leader based in Basilan, who has a $500,000 bounty put on his head. It's positive that he was wounded during the raid where one of our men, a member of the Special Action Forces, was also wounded," Estilles told local reporters.

Mundos is being pursued now by government forces in the area. He was captured in 2004, but he escaped from a provincial jail in 2007. While in government previous custody, he confessed to arranging fund for terrorist bombings throughout Mindanao.

According to Estilles, the encounter between the state forces and the Abu Sayyaf lasted about 20 minutes. Recovered from the scene were several high powered firearms, 14 bag packs owned by new Abu Sayyaf recruits, training manuals of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, cellular phones and other personal belongings, including hammocks.

"Our raiding team recovered 1 carbine, 1 M16, 1 M14, 1 baby Armalite and bullets, hand grenade, bag packs and other several other items," he aid. "They (Abu Sayyaf men) have not brought their belongings, including firearms, bullets and other possessions because they were surrprised by the raiding team."

Last Thursday morning's raid against the Abu Sayyaf group, Estilles said, at about 9:45 a.m. in a successful operation, government forces freed thge last of the two Chinese nationals abducted by the Abu Sayyaf.

Prior to the raid, authorities received information that the Abu Sayyaf recently established a training camp in a secluded Sitio Porlos in Barangay Calabasa, thi city. Intelligence initial reports revealed that the camp was also being used by the Mundos' group in keeping kidnap victims, training grounds and safe havens of other Abu Sayyaf comrades from Basilan and Sulu provinces.

Undersecretary Felizardo Serapio Jr. of the Law Enforcement Security Integrated Office (LESIO), who was authorized by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., said the latest raid against the terror group exemplief the government's unwavering commitment to crush the Abu Sayyaf and put an end to theior kidnapping and terror activities. Hader Glang