MANILA—Units from Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi and their police counterparts have shot and killed an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) sub-leader wanted for kidnapping and illegal drugs during operations in Sitangkai town Tuesday morning.
Col. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, identified the slain ASG leader as Buchoy Hassan, 48, and alias “Black”.
The latter was slain around 8:35 a.m. at his residence at the above-mentioned town.
Recovered from his possession were an M-16 automatic rifle, five speed boats and various outboard motors.
Arevalo said Hassan is wanted for kidnapping by Malaysian authorities, having been involved in the raid in Malaysia which resulted in the snatching of Taiwanese businesswoman Evelyn Cheng in Pom Pom Island Resort in Sabah last November 2013.
Aside from kidnapping, the ASG sub-leader has branched out into illegal drugs and is allegedly distributing shabu in Sitangkai and nearby towns.
Operations are still ongoing as of this posting.