By DPA
Zamboanga City (Philippines) : The Filipino troops killed a militant commander wanted by the US for kidnapping foreigners, including Americans, in 2000 and 2001, a military official said Sunday.
Mobin Abdurajak, a commander of the Al Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf group, was killed Saturday evening in an operation in Bonggao town in Tawi-Tawi province, 1,100 km south of Manila, regional navy chief Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag said.
“Abdurajak carried a 2-million-peso ($48,780) reward from the Philippines government and $20,000 from the US government,” Marayag said.
Abdurajak was wanted for his participation in the kidnapping of 21 Western tourists and Asian workers from Malaysia’s Sipadan island in April 2000, and three Americans and 17 Filipino vacationers from a resort in May 2001.
The Sipadan hostages, including European tourists, were held for months on the southern island of Jolo, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, before they were released for millions of dollars in ransom.
Two Americans and three Filipinos abducted from the western Philippine resort island of Palawan were killed during the hostage crisis. One of the slain Americans was beheaded.
Aside from the high-profile kidnappings, the Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines.
Last week, a Philippine court convicted and sentenced to life 14 Abu Sayyaf members for the 2001 kidnapping and the killing of two American hostages. Several leaders of the group have been killed in clashes with the military.