A suspected member of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), who was on a special mission to Central Philippines, was killed by police authorities on Friday after he escaped from detention cell. The deceased has been identified as Saad Samad Kimir, also known as Abu Saad. He was earlier arrested in Bohol on 4 May and police found a 45 caliber gun, with two magazines, and a mobile phone in his possession.
Following his arrest, he was placed in a detention cell but three hours later he escaped and proceeded to Cortes Town, which is the government seat of Bohol in the central part of the Phhilippines.
After his escape, residents in the area, who noticed his suspicious movements alerted the police authorities, who immediately took action and got involved in a brief chase with him. Police eventually cornered Kimir in the same town and he was shot down there. He was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital.
Col. Felipe Natividad, Director of Bohol Police Provncial Office was quoted by the Philippine Inquirer that they will have the incident investigated.
Records show Kiram, along with 9 other ASG fighters, joined the ASG in 2013. They were supposed to sail off from Sulu to Bohol before the ASEAN meet. Police intelligence reports disclosed they went to Bohol to possibly abduct new victims as the province is one of the most visited destinations of Western tourists in Central Philippines.The US embassy earlier warned its nationals living in the Philippine to be cautious of their travel to the central Philippines
The ASG started as a revolutionary organization in 1991 but eventually evolved into a kidnapping and maritime piracy group. Since 2012, the ASG acquired at least USD 12 million from kidnap for ransom and other clandestine activities, particularly in the Philippine-Malaysia border.
