ZAMBOANGA CITY – A mid-level leader of the Abu Sayyaf with ties to the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was killed in a law enforcement operation in this city, a top police official announced Tuesday.
Killed was Arrasid Adjing Halissam alias Guru Ara according to Police Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director.
Ylagan said that Halissam opened fire as he tried to escape, which prompted the troops to return fire that killed the Abu Sayyaf leader in a law enforcement operation by way of service of search warrant around 3 a.m. Tuesday in Margarita Drive, Barangay San Roque, this city.
Ylagan said the troops recovered from the possession of Halissam a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, a grenade, and bomb-making components.
He also added that Halissam is a trusted associate of Isnilon Hapilon, the slain emir of all Islamic State forces in the Philippines. Both pledged allegiance to the ISIS in 2014.
Moreover, he noted Halissam as the facilitator of Malaysian international terrorist Zulkipli Bin Hir alias Marwan, who was killed on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Ylagan added that the slain Abu Sayyaf leader was recently monitored in this city facilitating the recruitment of new members of Dawlah Islamiya (DI) and has acted as financial conduits of DI and Abu Sayyaf.
He said that Halissam previously belongs to the Abu Sayyaf cell in this city and was involved in kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos in the region and Sulu from 2002 until 2015.
The police official said that Halissam was also involved in the January 23, 2015 bombing of a bus terminal in Barangay Guiwan, this city, that resulted to the death of two people and injured 52 others. – Nikolai Gonzalo
