ZAMBOANGA CITY - Three soldiers were wounded during a firefight between government troops under Joint Task Force Sulu (JTF-Sulu) and the Abu Sayyaf in Barangay Tumantangis, Indanan, Sulu on Sunday, May 15.
Soldiers under the 100th Infantry Battalion of JTF-Sulu were on their way to verify the information about the presence of ASG bandits in Indanan, Sulu when they encountered the terrorist under Radulan Sahiron.
The exchange of fire ensued which lasted until the bandits started to flee towards the northern part of the town.
Three soldiers and an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf members were wounded during the encounter.
A soldier was transported to the Camp Navarro Hospital at the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City while two others were treated at the Camp Bautista Station Hospital in Sulu.
Maj. Gen. Ignasius Patrimonio, JTF-Sulu commander, said the wounded soldiers were all in stable condition.
Col. Giovanni Franza, 1102nd Infantry Brigade Commander, said additional soldiers were deployed to pursue the fleeing bandits while military and police patrol bases were alerted to conduct blocking and checkpoint operations.
Patrimonio commended the troops for their efforts to neutralize the ASG bandits and urged the soldiers to continue in their mission to track down the remaining terrorists.