ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed in a clash as government offensive continues to rescue kidnap victims in the province of Sulu, a top military official said.
Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said the firefight broke out in Barangay Bungkaong, Patikul, Sulu at about 9 a.m. Monday.
Dela Vega said troops of the Army’s 21st Infantry Battalion were on security operation when they clashed with some 60 ASG bandits, led by sub-leaders Almujer Yadah and Idang Suskan in Barangay Bungkaong.
He said the firefight resulted in the death of an ASG member, identified as a certain Muin, whose remains were abandoned by the fleeing bandits. An M-16 Armalite rifle was also recovered from the clash site.
The bandits fled as they failed to withstand the firepower of the government forces, dela Vega said, adding that no one among the troops was either killed or wounded during the clash.
A total of 38 ASG bandits have been killed in separate clashes since January this year, the military said. Of the total, 32 were killed in Sulu and the remaining six in Basilan province.
Dela Vega said the troops are continuously tracking down the ASG members in a bid to rescue the 10 hostages they are still holding, consisting of five Filipinos and five foreigners -- three Indonesians, one Vietnamese, and one Dutch.
“This latest encounter only shows how persistent our forces are in tracking down the terrorist groups wherever they go to make sure that they are decimated and the remaining kidnap victims are also rescued,” he said. (PNA)
