A joint police and military team has arrested nine women whom they tagged as “potential suicide bombers” in three towns in Sulu over the weekend, the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) bared on Tuesday.
The women are either relatives or wives of slain key leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), including Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, a former commander and the emir of the Islamic State in Mindanao whom the military claimed it had killed in one of the firefights in Sulu last year.
“Our troops together with our partners from the PNP and Intelligence Units conducted a simultaneous implementation of search warrants in Jolo, Indanan and Patikul, all of Sulu at early dawn on Friday,” said Westmincom commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr.
“This led to the apprehension of nine female potential suicide bombers who are related to some of the notorious leaders and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group,” he added.
Among the nine, five were arrested in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul and they were identified as Elena Tasum Sawadjaan-Abun alias Iling, 40, daughter of Sawadjaan and widow of ASG sub-leader Walid Abun; Linda Darun Maruji, alias Appuh Yayang, 66, sister of Sawadjaan; Firdauzia Said alias Firdausia Salvin, widow of sub-leader Mannul Said; Risa Jalil, wife of ASG member Nasser Sawadjaan Hadjail, who is a nephew of Sawadjaan, and Sharifa Rajani.
The Westmincom said in an earlier report that its forces have killed Sawadjaan, who took over the reigns of the Islamic State (IS) after the death of Isnilon Hapilon during the siege of Marawi City in 2017, in one of the encounters in Sulu in July last year.
The death of Sawadjaan prompted the military to declare his nephew, Mannul, as the heir-apparent of the IS in Mindanao. Mannul, the military said, was, however, among those killed during a daring operations by the Joint Task Force-Sulu near the Sulare Island in Parang, Sulu in November last year.
Seized from the possession of the five women were homemade bomb components, including an energizer 9 volt battery with battery snap, one non-electric blasting cap, a backpack, suspected ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO), suspected detonating cord, 2.5 inches GI pipe, 184 pieces of 1-inch concrete nails and two android phones.
Another composite team of soldiers and policemen arrested two other women at Zone 3, Barangay Tulay, Jolo, and they were identified as Nudzha Ismani Aslun alias Nudz/Akih, 26, widow of an ASG member, and Nurshahada Isnain, 19, wife of an ASG member identified as Akram, one of the trusted followers of ASG sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan.
Mundi is a nephew of Sawadjaan and one of the architects of the two previous suicide bombings in Sulu, including the Jolo Cathedral bombing.
Recovered from the two women were one push button switch, an Eveready 9 volt battery with battery snap, one non-electric blasting cap, a backpack, a suspected ANFO, suspected detonating cord, 2.5 inches G.I. pipe, 340 pieces 1-inch concrete nails, a hand grenade, a booklet entitled “Jihad Fil Sabilillaah,” several identification cards, and a rough sketch of their terror plan.
Westmincom spokesman Lt. Col. Alatic Avelino delos Santos said another two women were also arrested during another operation target at Barangay Bangkal, Patikul where the operating troops got the two daughters of Sawadjaan, who were identified as Isara Jalmaani Abduhajan, 36, and Jedah Abduhajan-Amin, 28.
Seized from their possession were homemade bomb components, including a push button switch, one energizer 9 volt battery with battery snap, one non-electric blasting cap, a backpack, suspected ANFO, suspected detonating cord, 2.5 inches G.I. pipe, and 265 pieces of 1inch concrete nails.
The nine suspects were all arrested for violation of Republic Act 9516 or the Illegal Possession of Explosives.
Vinluan said that according to one of their informants, the nine women were already being indoctrinated as suicide bombers when they were arrested.
Image credits: Karl Norman Alonzo/ Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP