ZAMBOANGA CITY – The body of a slain member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) had been recovered while another bandit was captured amid the focused military operation against the group in Sulu province, a military official said Wednesday.
Col. Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, said the remains of the slain alleged ASG member was recovered around 8 a.m. Wednesday in Sitio Hagas-Hagas, Barangay Pangkayahan in Patikul, Sulu.
Besana said that troops from the Army’s 1st Scout Ranger Battalion were on a focused military operation when they recovered the remains of the ASG member, believed to have been killed in the series of clashes on April 11 in Barangay Pangkayahan.
The troops immediately buried the recovered cadaver “since it is already in the advanced state of decomposition,” said the Army official. The dead bandit had not been identified as of yet.
He said the captured ASG member was identified as Aldie Wajid, a follower of bandit sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.
Wajid was captured while troops from the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion were conducting focused military operation around 7:10 a.m. Wednesday in Sitio Kan Bading, Barangay Taung, Patikul, Besana said.
Wajid yielded a caliber .45 pistol, a magazine with four live ammunition, and two rolls of electric wire.
Wajid was placed under custodial debriefing at the 32nd Infantry Battalion headquarters and was subsequently turned over to the Patikul Municipal Police Station for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges, Besana said.