Soldiers rescued on Sunday, March 21, a 15-year old Indonesian fisherman who was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group off the waters of Malaysia last year during a military operation in Languyan, Tawi-Tawi.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom), said Mohd Khairuidin is the last captive of the ASG from the group of eight fishermen they forcibly took sometime in January last year.

identified the rescued victim as Mohd Khairuldin, male, a resident of Kabupaten Wakatobi, a municipality in the province of Sulawesi Tengara in Indonesia.

Khairuldin, a resident of Kabupaten Wakatobi, a municipality in the province of Sulawesi Tengara in Indonesia, is among the eight Indonesian fishermen who were allegedly abducted by seven Abu Sayyaf bandits on January 17, 2020 while they were fishing in the waters of Tambisan Island located in the Sulu Sea within the borders of Sabah.

From the eight captives, only four were left in captivity as three of them were released by the ASG while another one was killed during an encounter with the military in Patikul, Sulu on September 29, 2020.

Khairuldin three companions were able to escape and later rescued by police and military forces on March 18 encountering a sea mishap in South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi. They were identified as Riswanto Bin Hayono, 26; Arical Kastamiran, 30; and Arsyad Bin Dahalan, 41.

Encounter, sea mishap

According to Vinluan, Khairuldin was rescued by the military after an encounter erupted between elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 and three ASG kidnappers in Barangay Kalupag Island, Languyan, Tawi-Tawi.

He said the troops responded to a report about the presence of the armed men in the area on Saturday evening, March 20, prompting them to conduct an operation which resulted in a firefight. After the encounter, Khairuldin was able to escape and was later found astray by locals in the barangay around 6 a.m. the next day, March 21.

"Parang nahiwalay siya, nahiwalay tapos tumakbo 'yung dalawang so naiwan siya. Doon siya nakita ng mga sibilyan at tinuro na rin ng mga civilian sa mga Marines natin (It appears that he was separated from the group after two of ran away and left him. He was found by some civilians and they reported it to our Marines)," Vinluan said.

In the same encounter, the troops arrested Majan Sahidjuan alias Apo Mike, the pinpointed leader of the ASG sub-group engaged in kidnap for ramson activities, who was severely wounded during the firefight. As of writing, pursuit operations were ongoing to apprehend the two escaped ASG kidnappers.

"Ito 'yung mastermind talaga ng mga kidnappings sa mga boundaries natin (He is the mastermind of all kidnappings in our boundaries)," Vinluan said.

However, Vinluan said Sahidjuan eventually died due to severe loss of blood.

Vinluan said that Khairuldin and his kidnappers hid in the area after surviving a sea tragedy in Tawi-Tawi.

"Siyam sila lahat eh dahil apat 'yung kidnap victims tapos lima yung Abu Sayyaf. Bale dalawa na lang ang naiwan na Abu Sayyaf na hinahanap doon sa Kalupag Island (There were nine of them including four kidnap victims and five Abu Sayyaf bandits. Right now, only two Abu Sayyaf bandits remain and they are being hunted in Kalupag Island)," Vinluan said.

ASG leader Sahidjuan and four of his comrades were transporting their four Indonesian captives from Sulu to Tawi-Tawi last March 18 when their motor banca was hit by big waves and capsized off Pasigan Island in South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi.

"Muntik-muntik na silang maano doon sa Sulu kaya naghanap sila ng ibang area na mas safe sila (They were nearly caught in Sulu so they tried to find other areas where they would be safe)," Vinluan stated. According to the military commander, Sahidjuan's group was supposed to take shelter from his relatives in Tawi-Tawi.

"Magtatago lang sila, dito sila magpapalipas ng Ramadan habang nag-ne-negotiate sila sa possible ransom (They were supposed to hide there until Ramadan while negotiating for a possible ransom)," Vinluan added.

When the boat capsized, three kidnap victims -- Hayono, Kastamiran, and Dahalan -- along with ASG member Sahud Salisim alias Ben Wagas, 45, of Maimbung, Sulu, were washed ashore and found by police and military in Tandubas town, Tawi-Tawi on March 18.

Another ASG kidnapper identified as Bensal Jakare alias Enjemar Mankabong was rescued by the crew of passenger vessel M/V Kassandra and turned over to authorities.

Salisim and Jakare were flown via a Philippine Air Force C-130 transport aircraft to WesMinCom headquarters in Zamboanga City last March 19 for the filing of charges for kidnapping.

Khairuldin was taken to the headquarters of the 2nd Marine Brigade in Tawi-Tawi for medical procedure and debriefing. His three fellowmen had already underwent debriefing after being rescued.

'No more kidnap victims'

With the rescue of the four Indonesian fishermen, Vinluan said that the ASG has no more remaining victims.

"Wala na. Pinoy wala na rin. Bale wala nang naiwan na kidnap victim doon (No more . Even Filipinos, there are none. There are no more kidnap victims left there)," he said.

He added that the ASG leadership under the command of Radullan Sahiron has suffered continuous setbacks due to the intensified military operations in their strongholds in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa).

"Aabot na lang sila ng mga 80 sa whole of BaSulTa. Sa Sulu pabagsak na 'yun kas si Radullan Sahiron mahina na raw dahil may tama rin 'yan dahil sa sunud-sunod na encounter ng tropa (They are numbering to 80 in the whole of BaSulTa. In Sulu, their leaders are going down because Radullan Sahiron is already weak after being wounded from continuous encounters with our troops)," Vinluan revealed.