Police authorities considered the killing of Abu Sayyaf leader Gafur Jumdail during an operation in Sulu on Saturday midnight as a big blow to the terrorist group, a ranking police official said on Monday.
Sr. Supt. Francisco Cristobal, executive officer of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Western Mindanao (DIPO)-WM), said Jumdail was a sub-leader of the ASG who already had his own territory in Sulu.
”So far, the impact is huge on the part of ASG, especially Jumdail is considered as sub-commander, he is a big loss because he has his own area of operation in Sulu,” said Cristobal.
Jumdail, along with two other Abu Sayyaf terrorists, was killed during a firefight with elements of the DIPO-WM and the elite Special Action Force (SAF) in the outskirts of Maimbung town.
PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. seconded Cristobal as he noted Jumdail was the younger brother of Gumbahali Jundail, alias Doctor Abu, a top commander of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Cruz said that based on intelligence reports, the group of Gafur Jumdail was planning to stage another kidnapping in Zamboanga Peninsula at the time of the successful police operation.
Initial report showed that Doctor Abu and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant Marwan were present during the firefight but authorities could not ascertain what happened to the two.
Because of the huge setback brought about to ASG by Jumdail’s killing, government authorities are now bracing for possible retribution from the terrorists.
All government security forces in Mindanao have been alerted for possible retaliatory attacks by the ASG.
