PHILIPPINES ARMY CAPTURES COMMANDER OF ISIS-AFFILIATED ABU SAYYAF MILITANT GROUP

Soldiers stand guard along the main street of Mapandi village, Philippines June 2, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

On March 31, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced in an official statement that its units had captured “Walton Jujirin”, a sub-leader of the ISIS-affiliated group Abu Sayyaf in the Patikul area of the southern province of Sulu. Jujirin was wounded and left behind by his four fighters when he was captured, according to the AFP.

AFP units were reportedly conducting a security operation to rescue Philippines and foreign hostages from Abu Sayyaf in the Patikul area when the civilians informed them about the location of Jujirin.

According to the AFP, Jujirin and his units are responsible for a series of IEDs attacks against the AFP in Sulu province. On March 30 only, three soldiers of the AFP were killed when their vehicle was targeted with an IED in Sulu, according to the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq.

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The AFP intensified its security operation in Sulu province in 2018 in order to eliminate Abu Sayyaf there and to free at least 10 hostages, the terrorist group had abducted earlier. 84 Abu Sayyaf members have been neutralized by the AFP since the beginning of 2018, according to Philippine sources.

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