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CITY OF ZAMBOANGA: Three pro-Islamic State (IS) militants, one of them involved in the kidnapping of foreigners and the beheading of a Canadian mining executive, surrendered to the Philippine army in the southern province of Tawi-Tawi.
This was also confirmed by Army Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr, head of the Western Mindanao Command, who identified the terrorists as Alsadi Hanain, Bennaser Pae and Ugali Alimudin.
Authorities said the trio, who surrendered separately, handed over weapons and are being questioned by the soldiers before they are handed over to the custody of the local government.
He said Hanain surrendered to the Second Marine Brigade in the capital city of Bongao and is linked to the Sept. 21, 2015 kidnapping of Canadians John Ridsdel, COO of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc., and Robert Hall, an entrepreneur. as well as Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, the resort manager, and Filipina Maritess Flor.
Ridsdel was finally beheaded on April 25, 2016 after his family failed to pay the P300 million ransom demanded by Abu Sayyaf. The other three hostages were released unharmed.
Hanain was also involved in the rescue of the Italian citizen Rolando del Torchio on October 7, 2014; European bird watcher Ewold Horn, who was killed in May 2019 during a shootout between militants and soldiers; and Chinese citizens Jin Hua Chen and Yahong Chen.
Vinluan said that Hanain, which was under the command of terrorist leader Hajan Sawadjaan, was also involved in deadly attacks against security forces in Basilan and Sulu provinces. He said Pae and Alimudin also gave in to the Philippine Marines.
“The windfall of surrender demonstrates the success of our efforts to end terrorism and lawlessness. We hope that more members of terrorist groups will decide to surrender and join us in achieving peace without killing each other, ”Vinluan said.
About 100 Abu Sayyaf militants have surrendered in recent years to take advantage of the government’s peace program in exchange for financial assistance and livelihood aid. Most of these terrorists chose to surrender and used the program to escape criminal responsibility.
Since 1995, hundreds and perhaps thousands of fighters from Abu Sayyaf and the New People’s Army and the Moro rebels have surrendered to the government through various programs from Up, Up (United for Peace, United for Progress) Mindanao and Balik-Baril Program to Comprehensive Local Integration Program, now called the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, and other similar initiatives to entice rebels and terrorists to peacefully surrender.
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