Poachers avoid PH waters over kidnap fears – Coast Guard

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Kidnapping in the high seas, usually done by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, has been scaring away poachers of rare and endangered species of turtles from Tawi-Tawi, an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Lt. Makaradat Uddin, PCG district commander in Tawi-Tawi, said poachers from Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries had been veering away from the Tawi-Tawi islands, including the Turtle Islands, the natural nesting ground for green sea turtles.

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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

ASG gunman killed in Sulu fighting

BY AL JACINTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Government troops clashed with pro-Islamic State (IS) militant groups in Sulu, which killed an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighter and wounded two police officers in separated encounters on Tuesday.

Officials said the fighting simultaneously erupted on Simisa Island off Banguingi town and in Patikul town.

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Source: manilatimes.net

8 Sayyaf bandits yield amid military offensives in Sulu

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Eight Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have surrendered to military authorities over the weekend as tactical offensives continue against the group in the province of Sulu, military officials said.

Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said one of the eight surrendered around 2 p.m. Saturday to the Army’s 1101st Infantry Brigade. Pabayo said the ASG surrenderer, Misal Abdulwahid, 33, turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle to Col. Antonio Nafarete, 1101st Infantry Brigade commander.

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Source: pna.gov.ph

PCG deploys Boracay class patrol vessel in Zamboanga

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has assigned one of its Boracay-class patrol vessel to the the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM) to boost the anti-smuggling campaign in this part of the country.

The vessel, BRP-Malamawi, will be jointly operated by the PCG and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to address the problems on smuggling, as well as piracy, drug trafficking and other illegal activities in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa) areas.

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Source: ptvnews.ph

Abu Sayyaf arms cache found by troops amid operations in Sulu

By Francis Wakefield

Soldiers pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants found an arms cache in Patikul, Sulu on Tuesday, March 26.

Troops from the 13th Special Forces Company also retrieved from the Abu Sayyaf’s arms cache a 60mm mortar, two M16 rifles, bandoliers with magazines, IED paraphernalia, flags with ISIS markings, a military map, a handheld radio, and a night vision monocular in Barangay Bakong, Patikul at about 11 a.m.

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Source: news.mb.com.ph

3 Abu Sayyaf killed in Sulu encounter — AFP

By: Frances Mangosing

MANILA, Philippines — Three members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were believed to be killed in an encounter with the Philippine Marines in Sulu, the military said Monday.

Troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-3 clashed with undetermined number of bandits under sub-leader Najir Arik in Simisa Island in Banguigui on Sunday, the Western Mindanao Command said.

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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Marines seize ASG speed boat

By Francis Wakefield

Government troops seized a speed boat used by the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the island of Simisa, Sulu on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

A military report disclosed that the relentless and continuous joint operation conducted by the Marine Battalion Landing Team – 3, Naval Task Group/Philippine Marine Ready Force – Sulu, and Joint Task Force-Sulu resulted in the recovery of the speedboat believed to be the “get-away” vessel of the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group in the island of Simisa, Sulu.

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Source: news.mb.com.ph

The Forgotten Key to Maritime Security in the Sulu-Celebes Seas

Economic development in coastal communities will help stem the flow of illegal behavior.

By Jay Benson

Maritime insecurity in the Sulu and Celebes Seas is a persistent challenge. These waterways have recently been used to conduct incursions into Lahad Datu, orchestrate kidnap for ransom activities by militant groups such as Abu Sayyaf, and facilitate illegal wildlife trafficking. Governments in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have responded with increased maritime enforcement capacity and presence, as well as enhanced international coordination. Although these are important efforts that need to be maintained, an exclusive focus on enforcement capacity risks ignoring an equally important facet of maritime insecurity: economic exclusion and inequality in coastal communities.

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Source: thediplomat.com

Troops kill 3 militants in clashes in southern Philippine islands

MANILA, March 20 (Xinhua) — Philippine troops have killed three militants, including an alleged Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, in two separate clashes in the jungles of Jolo island in southern Philippine provinces of Sulu and Basilan, the military said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the military said Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Angah Ajid and another militant, Sarih Edris, were killed during a firefight that broke out on Tuesday in a remote village of Talipao town.

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Source: xinhuanet.com

2 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed, another captured

By BONG GARCIA

TWO Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while another was captured in separate clashes in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan.

Colonel Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, said no casualty was reported on the government side in both clashes. The Abu Sayyaf bandits are on the run.

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Source: sunstar.com.ph