Brigadier General Domingo Gobway, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan confirmed the killing of Radzmil Jannatul, alias Khubayb.
Gobway said troops of the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion were conducting combat operations when they encountered about four members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) at Sitio Center, Barangay Baiwas, Sumisip.
A 15-minute firefight ensued forcing the enemy to withdraw living behind their slain comrade. While scouring the encounter site, troops recovered the dead body of Jannatul.
Pursuit operation is currently ongoing while troops from the 64th Infantry Battalion were directed to establish blockades to possibly neutralize the fleeing enemies.
Jannatul was a notorious Basilan-based ASG sub-leader who replaced the late Furuji Indama as the top leader of the group following the latter’s death sometime in October 2020.
Lieutenant General Alfredo Rosario, Jr., Commander of Western Mindanao Command commended the troops of Joint Task Force Basilan for taking down the ASG leader.
“This will totally weaken the group and force the remaining members to give up their fight and save themselves,” Rosario said.
Photo: Western Mindanao Command PIO