ZAMBOANGA CITY – Lawmen have arrested in a buy-bust operation two suppliers of bomb-making components of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the province of Sulu, military officials announced.
Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, Joint Task Force (JTF)-Sulu commander, identified the bomb-making components suppliers as Akkang Suraili Omaron, and, Mardan Dammang Jamasali who were arrested in buy-bust operation around 2:20 p.m. Sunday in Barangay San Raymundo, Jolo, Sulu.
Gonzales said the buy-bust operation was launched after a concerned citizen tipped-off about the illegal activities of the two to the 15th Civil Military Operations (15CMO) Battalion personnel, who was conducting Community Support Program (CSP) in Barangay San Raymundo, Jolo.
He said seized from the possession of the two suspects were marked money, ammunition of caliber .45 pistol and improvised explosive device (IED) components to include several blasting caps, assorted sizes of time fuse cord, about a kilogram of suspected ammonium nitrate, 81-milimeter (mm) mortal shell, nails, marbles, aluminum pipes and wire switches.
Lt. Col. Nelicar Corsino, 15CMO battalion commander said that Omaron and Jamsali were the suppliers of IED components used during the August 24, 2020 Jolo twin blast along Serrantes street, Jolo, Sulu.
Fourteen people were killed while 75 others were wounded when the Abu Sayyaf bandits set off improvised bombs one after the other.
“The arrest of the suppliers is a significant development as the components they trade are really devastating if assembled as a bomb. These people who make bombings possible are as twisted as the bombers themselves,” Gonzales said.
He commended the concerned civilians for providing vital information that led to the arrest of the two bomb-making component suppliers of the Abu Sayyaf bandits. – Nikolai Gonzalo
