Philippines arrests Abu Sayyaf bomber hinh anh 1Counter-terrorism forces of the Philippines (Photo: AP)

Hanoi (VNA) – Military and police of the Philippines arrested Rahim Abdul, a suspected Abu Sayyaf bomb expert with a bounty of 1.3 million PHP (26,000 USD) on his head, said Philippine military on November 30.

Abdul was captured on November 28 in a joint operation near Isabela city of Basilan, offshore Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.

Western Mindanao Command Commander Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez praised the cooperation between police and military in the operation.

Abu Sayyaf is an insurgent group in the Philippines with links to Al-Qaeda. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and has been carried out kidnappings and bombings in the Philippines.

The group was part of a long-running battle against the government that began on May 23 in Marawi city, with more than 1,000 people dead by the time the government declared victory on October 17.-VNA

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