ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Government troops killed a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and captured his wife, also an alleged ASG member, following a 20-minute intense firefight in the hinterlands of Sulu, military officials said Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said the firefight broke out around 3:40 p.m. Sunday in Sitio Kan Pataw, Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao town.
Vinluan said troops from the Army’s 2nd Special Forces Battalion have clashed against 30 ASG bandits when they launched a tactical operation in Sitio Kan Pataw, Barangay Upper Sinumaan.
He said the troops captured Nursaina Jarad Sahi, who was wounded in the firefight and retrieved her husband’s remains following the firefight. Authorities have yet to establish the identity of the slain bandit.
The troops also recovered one M-16 Armalite rifle with an attached M-203 grenade launcher and one Galil rifle, also with a grenade launcher.
Nursain, who sustained shrapnel wounds, was taken to Camp General Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo, the province’s capital, for treatment.
Vinluan said the troops have notified the immediate family of Sahi concerning her condition.
“It is unfortunate that Abu Sayyaf terrorists continue to endanger the lives of their own family and friends, like Ms. Nursaina. I feel sorry for her that she was abandoned, wounded and helpless during the firefight,” he said.
He attributed the operational gains to the cooperation and support of the Tausug community that reported the presence of ASG bandits in the locality.
Following the firefight, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, called on the remaining ASG members to surrender.
“We will never hesitate to accord combatants the chance to give up and abandon their cause in the name of genuine and sustainable peace and development in Mindanao. We are inclined to welcome fighters who wish to lay down their arms and join our security campaign to quell terrorism in the province,” Sobejana said. (PNA)
