ZAMBOANGA CITY – Security forces captured an Abu Sayyaf leader long wanted by Philippine authorities for the 2000 kidnappings of 21 mostly European and Asian holidaymakers at the Sipadan island resort off Sabah in Malaysia.
Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman, said Ibni Acosta, who heads the Abu Sayyaf’s urban terrorist group, was captured before midnight Tuesday in his hideout in Tungawan town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
He said the raid was carried out by police and military forces after Acosta was tracked down in Tungawan, just outside Zamboanga City.
“The arrested person was involved in the Sipadan kidnapping and has an existing 21 warrants of arrest for kidnapping, serious illegal detention with ransom,” Samuddin said, adding, the government has put up a P4.3 million bounty for Acosta’s arrest.
Samuddin said the rebel leader is being interrogated to determine if the Abu Sayyaf is planning a terror attack or kidnappings in Zamboanga region.
He did not say if security forces recovered any weapons from Acosta’s hideout.
The Abu Sayyaf under Radullan Sahiron was largely blamed for the daring raid on the posh Pulau Sipadan where they kidnapped the foreigners, including Malaysian resort workers and two Filipinos, and ransomed them off to Malaysia and Libya for at least $25 million. (Mindanao Examiner)
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