IS terrorist nabbed, Abu Sayyaf Group spy surrenders in Mindanao
The IS militant has a standing arrest warrant while the Abu Sayyaf spy was involved in foreigners kidnapping.
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE: Philippine authorities said they have arrested an Islamic State extremist in a manhunt operation in Zamboanga del Norte province while an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) spy surrendered in Zamboanga City.
The Area Police Command - Western Mindanao, in a statement, said the arrested suspect, Nordy Alip, was listed as the third most-wanted person in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Alip, a member of Dawlah Islamiyah, the generic name given to pro-IS groups in the southern Philippines, was arrested in San Vicente, Sirawai village, on Wednesday.
Alip, a resident of Matiag village, Siocon municipality, Zamboanga del Norte, has a standing warrant of arrest for illegal possession of explosives issued by a court in Siocon in 2021.
Meanwhile, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) identified the ASG spy as Benjamin Husin Alias Sabar, who surrendered Wednesday at the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon, the NFWM's headquarters.
NFWM commander Rear Adm. Donn Anthony Miraflor said Thursday that Husin surrendered through the coordinated efforts of the NFWM and Joint Task Force - Zamboanga.
Husin joined the ASG as one of the followers of the late Sulu-based bandit leader, Alhabsy Misaya, in 2010 and served as a spy based in Zamboanga City since 2017 after he was wounded in a clash with government troops in Sulu, Miraflor said.
Misaya was killed in a 2017 clash with Marines in a forest between Indanan and Parang municipalities in Sulu.
Husin was allegedly involved in a 2015 kidnapping of three foreigners in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte province.
Miraflor said Husin decided to surrender to live a normal life in the hope of reuniting with his family. He turned in a Garand rifle with 15 rounds of ammunition.
Nice piece Zam, seems like the never ending battle against ASG goes on, surrenders and more surrenders but still the network seems to survive.