KOTA KINABALU: Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Mabar Binda was among the five killed in a shootout with the police at a mangrove swamp near Taman Sri Arjuna, Beaufort, yesterday (May 17).
The incident took place at about 11.27 am, and the raid team shot dead all five Abu Sayyaf members aged between their 20s and 40s.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said when the raid team knocked on the door, one of the suspects opened it and fired shots at them.
The other suspects emerged from various directions and attacked the raid team.
In self-defence, the raid team opened fire on the suspects, killing all five in the process.
“Further examination found that two suspects were armed with pistols, while the other three were using machetes,” said Hazani in a Special Integrated Ops press conference today.
Hazani also added that Mabar Binda and his brother, who were arrested on May 8, were involved in bombing a security force military truck in Southern Philippines. The Philippine authorities have since confirmed this incident.
On May 8, eight members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, including two sub-leaders named on the Wanted list by the Philippine government, were successfully arrested along with 29 of their family members.
37 Filipinos, including 21 children, were also detained near Taman Sri Arjuna, Beaufort.
“With these special operations, we have successfully crippled a Daesh/ISIS cell in Sabah.” said Hazani.
Sources: FB/ Info Roadblock JPJ/POLIS, Utusan Malaysia
Editor: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh
