ELEVEN soldiers, including a junior officer, were killed, while 13 others were wounded in a clash between government forces and Abu Sayyaf bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu, a top military official said Saturday, April 18.
Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the clash happened at 3:05 p.m. Friday, April 17, in Sitio Bud Lubong in the village of Danag, Patikul, Sulu.
Sobejana did not reveal the identities of the slain and wounded soldiers but said they belong to the Delta Company of the Army's 21st Infantry Battalion.
The remains of the slain soldiers were taken to a local mortuary while some of the wounded were airlifted to a military hospital in Zamboanga City.
Sobejana said the troops were conducting combat operation when they clashed with around 40 Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Radullan Sahiron and Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan.
The firefight lasted for about an hour after which the Abu Sayyaf bandits fled toward northeast upon sensing the arrival of reinforcement.
He said the bandits managed to seize seven R4 rifles, including one with attached 40-mm grenade launcher, a light machine gun, and one hand-held radio transceiver from the soldiers.
The military officer said the mortar teams of the Army's 21st Infantry Battalion and of the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion pounded the fleeing Abu Sayyaf bandits with 81-mm mortar rounds.
The bandits were believed to have suffered casualties.
Sobejana said the incident will instead motivate the Armed Forces of the Philippines to continue the offensive approach against the Abu Sayyaf bandits and make Sulu a peaceful place to live.
He said the Abu Sayyaf bandits are still holding captives five Indonesian fishermen, who were kidnapped on January 16 off Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia. (VoxPop Zamboanga)