 Troops in the Philippines have captured the "spiritual adviser" of the Abu Sayyaf along with two other members of the Al Qaeda-linked band, a military spokesman says. Colonel Gominto Tirino says Abraham Jumdaini was arrested on September 21 in the southern island of Jolo. However, his capture was only revealed today, after former Abu Sayyaf members identified him as the person recruited by Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Janjalani. He says an anti-terrorist task force captured two more Abu Sayyaf members a day later but they are still being questioned.
"Ooch! Ouch! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"Reynaldo, give him his testicle back." |
He declines to reveal reveal their identities. The military says Jumdaini, a former imam in a Jolo town mosque, had been tasked to use religion to indoctrinate Abu Sayyaf recruits to carry out kidnappings and raids. It says he was also involved in various kidnappings for ransom of Filipino Christians as well as in the abduction of 21 western tourists and Asian hotel workers from the Sipadan resort in Malaysia in 2000. Most of the hostages in that incident were later freed after ransom was paid. Although the Government has killed and captured most of the Abu Sayyaf leadership, including Janjalani, the group is still active in the southern islands of the Philippines. |