By ALI G. MACABALANG
COTABATO CITY – Marine troops on Sunday clashed with 10 armed persons allegedly involved in illegal drug trade in Tawi-Tawi, killing four of the suspects, the Western Mindanao Command (WMC) said.
Troops of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 and 64th Marine Company were on “focused military operation” when they “encountered 10 armed men in Barangay Lakit-Lakit, Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi at 5 a.m. (Sunday),” the WMC said in a report.
The report identified the four slain suspects as Oyong Maulana, Datu Solon Maulana, Rashida Maulana, and Nhadz Omar. One Marine soldier was slightly wounded in the armed encounter, it added.
“The neutralized enemies are notorious drug personalities positively identified by the LGU of Sapa-Sapa (town),’ the WMC quoted Brig. Gen. Camilo Balutan, commander of the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi, as saying.
The same personalities were known allies of the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf Group involved in kidnap-for-ransom strides in the tri-boundary of Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, Gen. Balutan added.
The Marine troops recovered from the battle scene one M1 Garand rifle, one bandolier with seven magazines loaded with 5.56mm live ammunition, two sachets of suspected shabu, two phones, and assorted drug paraphernalia, the WMC said.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, WMC chef, commended the Marine troops who, he said, were still pursuing the six other armed men who managed to escape during the firefight.
