ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 23, 2014) – Philippine commandos on Wednesday captured an Abu Sayyaf rebel who was allegedly plotting to bomb civilian targets in the southern port city of Zamboanga.
Officials said a composite team of police and military commandos swooped down on the seaside village of Baliwasan and captured the rebel who uses the alias of Abu Darren.
Darren was tagged as involved in the ransom kidnappings of 21 mostly European holidaymakers from the posh Malaysian resort of Pulau Sipadan in 2000 and he is also being linked by the police to a foiled kidnapping at a posh pearl farm resort in Davao that left two people dead in 2001.
Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman, said Darren has a string of criminal cases against him.
“Subject was also identified by a government witness as involved in kidnapping incidents with the Abu Sayyaf group in Davao and in Sidapan in 2001. Subject is believed casing probable bombing targets within Zamboanga City proper,” Samuddin said.
Darren is currently being interrogated by authorities to further determine his mission, but it was not immediately known whether the rebel was acting alone or if with other companions.
Police did not say if security forces had seized any weapons or explosives from the Darren.
The Abu Sayyaf, which means “bearer of the sword,” has been linked by Philippine an US authorities to Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya and was also tagged as behind the spate of terrorism and ransom kidnappings over the last two decades.
The group is still holding several foreigners and Filipinos in captivity in the troubled region. (Mindanao Examiner)
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