Alleged Abu Sayyaf courier, who's uncle of slain SE Asia ISIS emir, nabbed in Mindanao
Suspect allegedly serves as a courier of food, medical supply and ammunition for the terror group.
BASILAN: Philippine police have arrested an alleged courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), an uncle of a slain leader of Southeast Asian ISIS, in the southern province of Basilan in a counter-terrorism operation, an official said Wednesday.
Col. Richard Verceles, the operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, in a statement, said Insani Joy Samla was arrested at about 5:50pm Tuesday in Lantawan Proper village, Lantawan municipality.
Samla served as the courier of food, medical supply and ammunition for ASG bandits based in Basilan province, Verceles said.
He has a standing arrest warrant for frustrated murder with multiple attempted murder issued by a court in Isabela City, Basilan, on May 8, 2017.
According to Verceles, Samla is the uncle of late ASG subleader Isnilon Hapilon, who was the Daesh “emir” in the Southeast Asian region.
Isnilon was killed on Oct. 16, 2017 during a five-month siege of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province by the ASG and Maute Group led by Omar Maute, who was killed alongside him.
Samla was taken to the Lantawan municipal police station for documentation and later placed under the custody of the Isabela City police in the province.