COMBAT OPERATION. Two followers of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) "Amir" Radullan Sahiron (2nd from left and 2nd from right, respectively) surrendered Monday as the military is on continuous pursuit operation against Sahiron's group in Patikul, Sulu. Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11th Infantry Division commander (center), announced Wednesday (Dec. 8, 2021) that two followers of Sahiron and a soldier were killed in a series of clashes earlier in Barangay Danag, Patikul. (Photo courtesy of 11ID)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – State troopers are relentlessly in pursuit of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits who figured in a series of clashes that resulted in the death of two ASG followers and a soldier in Sulu, a top military official disclosed Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, the Army’s 11th Infantry Division commander, identified the subject of the continuous pursuit operation as the group of Radullan Sahiron, considered the “Amir” of the ASG.
Gonzales said the group of Sahiron figured in three separate clashes against the troops of the Special Forces and 45th Infantry Battalions (45IB) from 12:40 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Danag, Patikul, Sulu.
Gonzales said two followers of Sahiron and a soldier were killed during the series of clashes.
“The 45IB and our Special Forces had a series of clashes with the group of Sahiron. Our intelligence officers reported that two bandits were killed during the separate firefight but unfortunately one of our soldiers, Corporal Jonald Casing, gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Gonzales said in a statement Wednesday.
After the series of clashes, two followers of Sahiron surrendered Monday to the troops of the 45IB in Barangay Tugas, Patikul.
Lt. Col. Vicente Mabborang, the 45IB acting commander, identified the two ASG surrenderers as a certain Abu Adzmil, 31, and Abu Raj, 18, both residents of Patikul municipality.
Mabborang said Adzmil joined the ASG at the age of 18 while Raj at 12.
The surrenderers handed over an M-79 grenade launcher and an M-16 rifle to Gonzales.
He said that the two decided to surrender after they learned that the Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (TF-ELAC) will take care and provide them with livelihood assistance to live a peaceful life together with their respective families.
The TF-ELAC is the local counterpart of the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) of the national government that assists communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderers.
“Although this loss (of Casing) deeply hurt us, we honor Jonald by accepting ASG members who are ready to start anew. We forgive so that we can end the cycle of violence,” said Gonzales, the concurrent Joint Task Force Sulu commander.
“As for those who are insisting on this senseless violent extremism, we will continue to do our job until our mission is fully realized,” he added. (PNA)
