Authorities nabbed four members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group in separate operations in Zamboanga City, Philippine National Police Chief Camilo Cascolan said Monday.
He said Kadija Sadji, 31; Abdulman Sarapuddin Tula alias Mahn, 32; and Jailani Al-Rafee Sakandal, 31, were arrested in the first operation by virtue of a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms and explosives along Love Drive, Kampo Islam, Barangay Lower Calarian on Oct. 9.
Confiscated from them were two hand grenades, a .45-caliber pistol, several rounds of 5.56mm rifle ammunition and a black ISIS flag.
The operations were conducted by the Police Regional Office-9, Regional Intelligence Group, Special Action Force, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Cascolan said background investigation revealed that Sadji and Tula were both members of the ASG and served as financial conduits of the Dawlah Islamiya under ASG bomb expert Mundi Sawadjaan.
Tula was identified in police records as the person in charge of procuring logistics and provisions for the groups of Sawadjaan and Radullan Sahiron in Sulu.
Sadji is the wife of Al Asgar, son of the late Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Janjalani, and belongs to the same financial conduit cell with Amaida Salvin who was arrested in Zamboanga City on April 16, 2019.
Meanwhile, Sakandal is an active member of the Philippine Coast Guard with the rank of Apprentice Seaman.
In the second operation, police officers and troops from the Western Mindanao Command captured Hassan Anang Mohammad alias Usi on Oct. 11.
Cascolan says Mohammad is a senior ASG member who was involved in the kidnapping and beheading of Doroteo Gonzales on May 17, 2009, in Al Barka, Basilan.
Meanwhile, Cascolan says the suspected suicide bomber Indonesian national Rezky Fantasya Rullie alias Nana Isirani, who is five months pregnant, is planning to launch bomb attacks after giving birth.
“That’s the information. We were lucky and fortunate we were able to arrest her. She’s still in Sulu. We still have to get the results about an inquiry on her nationality and at the same time we still have to take some information because that’s part of the procedure and we have to look after her physical health,” Cascolan said.
Rullie and two other women, Inda Nurhaina, wife of ASG sub-leader Ben Tatoo; and Fatima Sandra Jimlani, wife of ASG member Jahid Jam, were arrested in Jolo, Sulu, on Oct. 10.
Authorities confiscated suicide vests, bombs and other materials used in making improvised explosive devices from the suspects.
Security forces have received intelligence reports that Rullie was set to take revenge and launch bomb attacks following the death of her husband Andi Baso, an Indonesian terrorist, in August.
Cascolan says the police and the military continue to monitor foreign terrorists in the southern portion of the Philippines. He, however, did not disclose further details on their operations.