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An Abu Sayyaf suspect was captured by combat police forces during a pre-dawn raid Monday in a hideout in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, police said on Tuesday.
The suspect, tagged to be involved in the abduction of coconut farmers 12 years ago, was identified as Abu Arsad also known with the aliases of Arsad and Musad Abdurasad.
The Basilan Provincial Police headquarters said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and selected operatives from 3 companies of the police Special Action Force (SAF), raided the safehouse of Arsad about 1:55a.m Monday at the village of Lawi- Lawi, Lantawan town.
Arsad has a standing warrant of arrest with nine counts of murder, kidnapping with serious illegal detention.
The suspect was caught unaware, surrendered without resistance as government security forces hauled him to the police headquarters and subsequently detained Arsad at the regional office of the NBI.
The Abu Sayyaf was founded in the 1990s and had since perpetrated a number of high-profile attacks, including kidnapping and bombing. The Philippine military estimates the Abu Sayyaf, which has links with international terrorist organizations, has about 400 members at present.
