ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 23, 2014) – Security forces captured Thursday a member of the notorious Abu Sayyaf group implicated in kidnappings in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said Jun Akilan was tracked down in the village of Talabaan following a tip off from an informant. Akilan was allegedly visiting his family when soldiers and policemen captured him. A .45-caliber pistol was also recovered from Akilan.
The capture of Akilan coincided with the visit of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
Akilan is being linked to the kidnappings of teachers in Zamboanga City and also traders in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay provinces.
It was not immediately known whether Akilan arrived in the village alone or with other kidnappers. The Abu Sayyaf, tied by the police and military to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, is still holding several kidnapped victims in the southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)
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