Sayyafs kill army officer, 9 soldiers wounded in Sulu fighting

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Abu Sayyaf militants killed an army officer and wounded 9 other soldiers in fierce clashes amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, a regional military commander said Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the fighting erupted in the village called Pansul in Patikul town after soldiers launched an assault on the lair of the pro-ISIS group blamed for the spate of terror attacks in the Muslim province, about 79 nautical miles from here.

He said the Monday fighting killed an officer, but his identity was not made public, although Sobejana confirmed the fatality was a member of the 32^nd Infantry Battalion.

Sobejana said security forces continue Tuesday hunting down the militants.

“It is with deep sadness to report that one valiant military officer paid the ultimate sacrifice and nine personnel were wounded while fearlessly fighting the enemies and protecting the people of Sulu,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, commander of the 11^th Infantry Division in Sulu, said military forces have been alerted in other towns and ordered to stay vigilant.

“The skirmishers between our forces and the Abu Sayyaf persist. As we actively support the civil government in preventing the spread of Covid-19, we also ensure that the people in the community are safe and secured from the terrorism,” Vinluan said.

On June 13, two policemen were killed and two others wounded in a daring attack by gunmen on the Parang municipal police station on the other side of Patikul.  The attackers opened fire on the station and escaped after the shooting that killed Corporal Mudar Salamat and Patrolman Arjun Putalan.

Two other cops wounded in the attack have been identified as Executive Master Sergeant Hamid Saribbon and Senior Master Sergeant Harold Nieva. (Zamboanga Post)

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