Military clashes with Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu
Published Feb 2, 2019 01:38 pm
By Martin Sadongdong
The military encountered in an intense firefight in Patikul, Sulu Saturday around 100 armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) under sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, which is said to be one of the operating groups behind the deadly twin blasts at the Jolo Cathedral.
(photo courtesy of Sixth Infantry Division facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Colonel Gerry Besana, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), disclosed that troops from the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Marlo Jomalesa clashed with "more or less 100 ASG" armed men.
The encounter took place at Sitio Sungkog, Brgy. Kabbon Takas, Patikul, Sulu around 11:30 a.m., Besana said.
Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Monfort, Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu spokesperson, said five soldiers and three suspected terrorists were killed in the 1-hour-and-50-minute firefight.
Included in the slain terror suspects was a certain Abu Black, a foreign terror suspect who resided in Cotabato City, Monfort said.
Five soldiers and 13 terror suspects, including a certain Indang Susukan, an Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader, were also wounded in the clash, he added.
The identities of the other casualties have yet to be disclosed.
According to Monfort, close air support was not delivered for the ground troops because of the weather coondition. Even the casualties on the government side had to be evacuated on land and not by air.
"Ang ASG is nasa advantage position while 'yong ating advancing troop ay nasa baba. Lahat ng ating casualties ay nanggaling sa mga nag-aassault. Despite the condition, pinilit pa rin nila makuha 'yong higher ground para makalaban ng parehas (The ASG is at an advantage position while our advancing troops were at a much lower ground. All of our casualties came from the assaulting team. Des pite the condition, they tried to take the higher ground to even the match)," he said.
"It is a meeting engagement but then 'yon nga nasa taas ang kalaban. Mahirap akyatin na ikaw ang tumitingin sa daanan samantalang ang kalaban ay nakadepensa at naka-aim sa dinadaanan mo (It is a meeting engagement but the enemies were on top of the troops. It is difficult to hike the trail and look at the road while the enemies were on defense and aiming at you)," he added.
Monfort stated that the operation was government-initiated in response to the bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu where Sawadjaan's group was said to be one of the masterminds.
Authorities earlier linked Sawadjaan's group behind the twin explosions at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu last January 27. The bomb attack resulted to the death of at least 22 individuals and the wounding of over 100 others.
According to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano, foreign suicide bombers carried out the church bombing through the help of Sawadjaan's group and a certain alias Kamah, a member of the ASG subgroup called Ajang-Ajang Group which is composed mostly of young orphans of ASG.
He added that Sawadjaan allegedly took over the reins after Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon was killed by government troops during the siege in Marawi City in 2017.
After the deadly Jolo cathedral blasts, President Duterte ordered the military and police to pulverize the ASG by all means.
Monfort said continuous pursuit operations would be conducted to hunt down the remaining ASG suspects.
"Right now, nakuha na natin ang isang pinagkukutaan nila. Definitely, we will continue pursuing them. Paliit ng paliit ang area na ginagalawan nila (Right now, we were able to capture one of their lairs. Definitely, we will continue pursuing them. Their world is getting smaller)," Monfort said.
(photo courtesy of Sixth Infantry Division facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Colonel Gerry Besana, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), disclosed that troops from the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Marlo Jomalesa clashed with "more or less 100 ASG" armed men.
The encounter took place at Sitio Sungkog, Brgy. Kabbon Takas, Patikul, Sulu around 11:30 a.m., Besana said.
Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Monfort, Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu spokesperson, said five soldiers and three suspected terrorists were killed in the 1-hour-and-50-minute firefight.
Included in the slain terror suspects was a certain Abu Black, a foreign terror suspect who resided in Cotabato City, Monfort said.
Five soldiers and 13 terror suspects, including a certain Indang Susukan, an Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader, were also wounded in the clash, he added.
The identities of the other casualties have yet to be disclosed.
According to Monfort, close air support was not delivered for the ground troops because of the weather coondition. Even the casualties on the government side had to be evacuated on land and not by air.
"Ang ASG is nasa advantage position while 'yong ating advancing troop ay nasa baba. Lahat ng ating casualties ay nanggaling sa mga nag-aassault. Despite the condition, pinilit pa rin nila makuha 'yong higher ground para makalaban ng parehas (The ASG is at an advantage position while our advancing troops were at a much lower ground. All of our casualties came from the assaulting team. Des pite the condition, they tried to take the higher ground to even the match)," he said.
"It is a meeting engagement but then 'yon nga nasa taas ang kalaban. Mahirap akyatin na ikaw ang tumitingin sa daanan samantalang ang kalaban ay nakadepensa at naka-aim sa dinadaanan mo (It is a meeting engagement but the enemies were on top of the troops. It is difficult to hike the trail and look at the road while the enemies were on defense and aiming at you)," he added.
Monfort stated that the operation was government-initiated in response to the bombing incident in Jolo, Sulu where Sawadjaan's group was said to be one of the masterminds.
Authorities earlier linked Sawadjaan's group behind the twin explosions at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu last January 27. The bomb attack resulted to the death of at least 22 individuals and the wounding of over 100 others.
According to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano, foreign suicide bombers carried out the church bombing through the help of Sawadjaan's group and a certain alias Kamah, a member of the ASG subgroup called Ajang-Ajang Group which is composed mostly of young orphans of ASG.
He added that Sawadjaan allegedly took over the reins after Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon was killed by government troops during the siege in Marawi City in 2017.
After the deadly Jolo cathedral blasts, President Duterte ordered the military and police to pulverize the ASG by all means.
Monfort said continuous pursuit operations would be conducted to hunt down the remaining ASG suspects.
"Right now, nakuha na natin ang isang pinagkukutaan nila. Definitely, we will continue pursuing them. Paliit ng paliit ang area na ginagalawan nila (Right now, we were able to capture one of their lairs. Definitely, we will continue pursuing them. Their world is getting smaller)," Monfort said.