3 soldiers, 7 Sayyaf killed in new Sulu clashes
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Three members of the Philippine Marine Corps and seven Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members were killed in an encounter on Friday morning in Patikul, Sulu.
Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom), disclosed that three other Marine troops were wounded while 12 were arrested in the fighting that broke out in Barangay Timpook during an assault on an ASG hideout.
Three Marine companies — 62nd, 61st, and 64th — engaged the pro-Islamic State bandits under Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders Alnijar Ekit and Aldi Alun in a running gun battle that also left a still undetermined number of enemies wounded.
“Based on human intelligence, initial results of the ongoing firefight include a number of severely wounded bandits who could probably have died due to loss of blood. And while pursuing the Abu Sayyaf, troops recovered one dead body of the enemy killed with his M14 rifle and seven magazines,” said Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo, commander of the Joint Task Force-Sulu.
“On the government side, three marines were killed and three others incurred minor injuries,” he added.
Besana said the ASG bandits were “forced” to withdraw and escape while pursuit operations were ongoing.
The Abu Sayyaf leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and are fighting along with other extremist groups actively operating in the troubled region for the establishment of a caliphate.
With a reports from DEMPSEY REYES
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