Police forces in Western Mindanao have been placed on full alert on Monday by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Guillermo Eleazar in anticipation of possible attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) following the killing on Sunday of a sibling of notorious ASG subcommander and bomber Mundi Sawadjaan.
Eleazar directed police offices and units to be on guard against possible retaliation and sympathy attacks by the terrorist group and their allies in Mindanao as a result of the death of Al-Al Sawadjaan, Mundi’s younger brother, during a joint operation by soldiers and policemen.
The operating team was serving a warrant of arrest against a subleader of the ASG, Injam Yadah, in Jolo, Sulu on Sunday, when Yadah and his men, who sensed the presence of the policemen and soldiers, fired at the team, triggering a firefight.
Yadah, a subleader of the ASG who became notorious for his involvement in kidnap for ransom cases, died during the operation, along with three of his men that included Al-Al.
“I am tasking the local police to go on full alert because we are expecting that the remaining members will retaliate, especially that one of those killed during the encounter was a brother of Mundi Sawadjaan,” Eleazar said.
Mundi, a leader of the ASG who had allied his group with the Islamic State, was involved in the Jolo Cathedral suicide bombing in 2019 that was carried out by an Indonesian couple and in the twin suicide attacks in Jolo last year that targeted soldiers.
During the law enforcement operations against Yadah, the operating team seized firearms and homemade bomb components.
Eleazar assured that the police and military will further intensify their joint operations to capture Mundi and the remaining members of the ASG.
“We are doubling our efforts to capture Mundi and his men. We will intensify our coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as our intelligence gathering efforts to combat this group and stop their attacks on innocent civilians,” he said.
The PNP chief also urged the public to remain vigilant and immediately report to authorities if they have information that can help locate the terrorists.