ZAMBOANGA CITY – Gunmen killed a member of the Philippine Army’s Scout Ranger regiment and wounded another in an ambush Tuesday in the restive Muslim province of Basilan.
The soldiers were on
a motorcycle heading back to their camp from the marketplace in Sumisip town
when armed men attacked them in the village of Mebak. The identities of the
casualties were not immediately known.
No group or
individual claimed responsibility for the ambush, but the town is a known
stronghold of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf.
The attack came a day
after troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf in the province of Sulu that left one
gunman dead and two soldiers wounded in the village called Kabbon Takas in
Patikul town.
This was confirmed by
Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander
of Joint Task Force Sulu, saying members of the Philippine Army’s 111th
Division Reconnaissance Company, and 32nd Infantry Battalion clashed twice with
the group of terrorist leader Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, alias Mundi, one of the most
notorious Abu Sayyaf commander in the province and included in the military's order of battle.
Patrimonio identified the slain gunman as Rhudymar Habib Jihiran, alias Gulam.
“The two encounters also resulted in the wounding of two soldiers. Both are in stable condition and are currently recuperating at Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital,” he said without releasing the names of the soldiers.
Army Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of Western Mindanao Command, has ordered an intensified campaign against the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf and assured the safety of civilians against terrorist threats.
“Despite our constant call for
peaceful resolution of conflicts, some remain cold-hearted, hence, we continue
to intensify our operations to press on them. Rest assured that our operations
are always in adherence to the International Humanitarian Law and other laws
promulgated to ensure the safety of the communities,” he said. (Mindanao
Examiner)
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