POLICE arrested an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in Zamboanga City on Monday and confiscated from him a 0.45-caliber pistol with 1 magazine, four bullets and a rifle grenade, officials said.
They said Amir Intong Salihin was from Basilan and an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf under Isnilon Hapilon.
He served as liaison officer for finance and was believed to have been involved in making improvised explosive devices.
In Manila, Army Chief Eduardo Año on Monday dismissed insinuations that a pullout of American forces would have a negative impact on the government’s campaign against Islamic terrorists.
“Our counter-terrorism efforts will not be affected because we have an anti-terrorism council and an anti-terrorism unit,” Año said. He said the recent operations against the Maute group, a self-styled Islamic band wanting to ally with the Islamic State, had shown the effectiveness on the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism.
“We conducted operations against the Maute group and there was no contribution or participation from the US,” Año said.
He said those operations resulted in the arrest of three of the 10 people who participated in the Sept. 2 bombing that killed 15 civilians and injured more than 60 others in Davao City.
Año also dismissed the reports that the US had sent a military plan to pull out its contingent in Mindanao following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for them to leave.
“Nothing yet,” he said.
“First of all, the President did not tell them to leave. What he said is that he is concerned for the safety of these Americans, so it would be better if they left. There was no notice for them to pul lout. They are still there.”
There are less than 100 Americans staying inside the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City. With Florante S. Solmerin