ASG rebel killed in Sulu

By Ronron
August 24, 2007

An alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed by government troops last Thursday while he was being arrested in Sulu, a military spokesman said yesterday (Friday).

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr, Philippine Army spokesman, identified the slain bandit as Abdul Masjid, alias Jade, a suspect in the abduction of an ABS-CBN news crew in July 2000 in the same island province.

Quoting the commanders on the field, Torres said Masjid was shot dead at around 1am the other day while he was jumping off a bamboo bridge near his alleged bunk house in the coastal barangay of Umbay in Jolo town.

Torres said the raid on Masjid’s house was conducted by intelligence operatives of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion.

An alleged ASG urban terrorist, Masjid has a standing arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from the Regional Trial Court of Jolo over the 2000 abduction of the ABS-CBN news crew.

The raiding operatives recovered from Masjid’s house one magazine for an M16 rifle and several ammunitions for a caliber 45 pistol, Torres said.

Government troops are currently running after the ASG in Sulu as well as in Basilan following the series of encounters since July this year./DMS