Isnilon Totoni Hapilon

Isnilon Totoni Hapilon

Abu Sayyaf Group member
Born (1966-03-18) March 18, 1966
Lantawan, Basilan, Philippines

Isnilon Totoni Hapilon (born March 18, 1966) is a leader of the Filipino terrorist organization called the Abu Sayyaf Group. He is thought to have recently suffered a stroke, which has limited his activity with the group.[1]

Hapilon is also known as The Deputy, and by aliases including Abu Musab, Sol, Abu Tuan, Esnilon, and Salahuddin. He is a citizen of the Philippines, a thin man at 5'6" and only 120 pounds. He speaks Tausug, Tagalog and Yakan, as well as English. His whereabouts are unknown; he may travel to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

In 2002 Hapilon and four other ASG members -- Khadaffy Janjalani, Hamsiraji Marusi Sali, Aldam Tilao, and Jainal Antel Sali, Jr.—were indicted in Guam and in the United States for their role in the 2000 Dos Palmas kidnappings of 17 Filipinos and three Americans, and the eventual beheading of one of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero.[2] Hapilon is the only one of the five indicted who is still alive.[3] On February 24, 2006, Hapilon, along with Janjalani and Jainal Sali, Jr. was added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list.[4] The Rewards For Justice Program of the United States Department of State is offering up to US$5 million (approx. 230,000,000 Philippine pesos as of August 2010) for information on Hapilon's location.[3]

In the late 1980s Hapilon graduated from the University of the Philippines School of Engineering.

Hapilon was wounded in April 2013 in an army offensive that killed eight other rebels in the southern Philippines. Hapilon was hit during a raid but his followers managed to drag him off safely before soldiers could seize control of the rebel base.[5]

Sometime in 2013–2014, Abu Sayyaf released a video confirming that Isnilon was alive. In the video, he claimed to have officially broken up with al-Qaeda and pledged alliance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Karl Wilson. "Abu Sayyaf continues to pull numbers to resistance - The National". Thenational.ae. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
  2. ↑ U.S. Charges Abu Sayyaf Members in Missionary's Death, PBS, 23 July 2002
  3. 1 2 Reward offer on five ASG members, Rewards for Justice Program, US Department of State
  4. ↑ FBI Updates Most Wanted Terrorists and Seeking Information – War on Terrorism Lists, FBI national Press Release, February 24, 2006
  5. ↑ Manuel Mogato (16 April 2013). "Top Filipino militant wounded in army attack". Reuters.
  6. ↑ Eurasia Review: "Islamic State Branches In Southeast Asia – Analysis" January 17, 2016

External links

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