Soldiers neutralize remaining Basilan Abu Sayyaf leader

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao --- The remaining ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan perished in a brief shootout with soldiers at past 5:00 p.m. Friday.

Senior officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region told reporters Saturday Radzmil Jannatul, who was wanted for high-profile criminal cases pending in courts, died from multiple bullet wounds sustained in the gunfight.

Combined personnel of the 64^th Infantry Battalion and other units of the 101^st Infantry Brigade were to surround Jannatul’s hideout in Barangay Baiwas in Sumisip, Basilan to arrest him peacefully but the attempt turned haywire when he opened fire, sparking a gunfight.

Local officials had repeatedly tried but failed to convince the recalcitrant Jannatul to surrender and avail of the peace and reconciliation program of the provincial government of Basilan, now benefiting more than 300 former Abu Sayyaf members who have returned to the fold of law in batches in the past seven years.

The operation that led to the demise of Jannatul was supervised by the commander of the 101^st Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway.

He is also the commander of the Army-led anti-terror Joint Task Force Basilan.

Jannatul and cohorts bombed last year a bridge and other infrastructures in Barangay Baiwas to dramatize his opposition to development efforts of the Sumisip local government unit in the area.

Lt. Reynan Besa, commanding officer of the 64^th IB, said Saturday local officials in Sumisip supported Friday’s maneuver that led to the death of Jannatul.

Sources from the League of Mayors in Basilan said Saturday there are barely 12 to 15 remaining Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the island province.

The Abu Sayyaf was founded in 1993 by the late Abduradjak Janjalani, who was born and raised in Isabela City in Basilan.

He was killed by policemen in an encounter in Barangay Tumakid in Lamitan City in 1998.