SULU - At least 7 Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed following a sea chase that erupted in a gun battle early Tuesday off the southern Filipino province of Sulu, security officials said.
“All
seven Abu Sayyaf were killed in the clash. Retrieval operations are going on.
The bodies sunk, the motor boat sunk, but we have combat divers in the area,”
said Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the anti-terror Joint Task Force
Sulu.
Gonzales
said they were monitoring the movements of the Abu Sayyaf and intercepted their
speedboat. “Actually, our operations began shortly before midnight and from
there we were monitoring the motorboat of the Abu Sayyaf until we launched the
assault at around 2:15 in the morning” he said, adding, troops surrounded the
battle area and for three hours search for the bodies of the Abu Sayyaf. All of
them are killed.”
Citing
intelligence reports, Gonzales said the militants were on their way to Surigao
province to kidnap businessmen and resort owners. “That’s their target,
businessmen and resort owners in Surigao,” he said.
Among
those killed in the clash were brothers and relatives of Abu Sayyaf leader Mudzrimar
Sawadjaan, alias Mundi, who was the architect of the twin suicide bombings in
Sulu’s capital town of Jolo in August this year, according to Gonzales.
He said
there was no military casualties, but the battle left bullet holes on the navy’s
attack vessel and its search light.
Last
week, security forces also prevented an Abu Sayyaf bombing in Sulu’s Indanan
town after a civilian discovered an improvised explosive at a roadside in
Timbangan village.
The explosive,
assembled from a mortar rocket rigged to a timer and a blasting cap and mixed
with five liters of ANFO or ammonium nitrate / fuel oil, was believed planted
by Sawadjaan’s group, said Col. Antonio Bautista,
commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade.
Like Us on Facebook: The Mindanao Examiner
Like Us on Facebook: The Zamboanga Post
Follow Us on Twitter: Mindanao Examine
Mirror Site: Mindanao Examiner Blog
Digital Archives: Mindanao Examiner Digital
Media Rates: Advertising Rates
No comments:
Post a Comment