4 Abus surrender to troops in Sulu, turned-over 4 Firearms

By Jong Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (September 19, 2017) - Four Abu Sayyaf members under the late sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya laid down their arms in Sulu, military official said.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer Cpt. Joan D. Petinglay disclosed Aldin Hadil Akmad, 25, Willing Ibba Jaabal, 45, Ijal Samsain Sadjal, 25, and Emar Ladjar Udjah, 17, yielded to Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Montoya, commanding officer of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion, in Barangay Likod Pata, Pata Island, Sulu at 8:30pm of Saturday (September 16).

"Through the joint efforts of the 3rd Sulu Civilian Active Auxiliary Company and the Special Intelligence Team, Akmad and his companions decided to return to the fold of the law," said Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, Commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu.

"The surrendered Abu Sayyaf members also turned-over an M16 rifle and three Garand rifles," added Sobejana.

“Documentation is currently being undertaken at the headquarters of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion in Talipao, Sulu."

Cpt. Petinglay said that at the start of the year, intensified conduct of focused military operations were directed to bring the defeat of the Abu Sayyaf, and with the offensives of the Joint Task Forces in the ZamBaSulta area, there were series of surrendered Abu Sayyaf members. As of this report the total number of surrendered Abu Sayyaf members in Sulu to 23.

"I commend the recent accomplishment of JTF Sulu under Brigadier General Sobejana," said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command. "The unit is very successful in their coordinations and stakeholders engagements that yielded this positive result," added the WestMinCom Chief.

Cpt. Petinglay further said from January 2017 to this date, there are a total of 111 Abu Sayyaf members who surrendered to the troops in the joint area of operations of the WestMinCom. Of this, 65 yielded to the troops in Basilan, 23 in Sulu, 21 in Tawi-Tawi, and two in Zamboanga City,

"Our Joint Task Forces are committed in intensifying the offensives to neutralize the remaining Abu Sayyaf bandits, who are on the run now. This operational accomplishment is attributed to our soldiers on the ground who made this possible," added LtGen Galvez.