Five members of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were killed while another was captured amid the intensified conduct of focused military operations launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Task Force Sulu in Capual, Sulu province.
Reports said that the bandits killed are under sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya who is based in Indanan, Sulu and has more or less 40 followers.
Army Captain Jo-Ann D. Petinglay, the spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command said the encounter happened in Sitio Talok Talok, Capual, Sulu, at about 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Troops coming from the Philippine Marines were said to be in combat operations when they engaged in a 20-minute armed confrontation members of the Abu Sayyaf under Misaya.
As a result, five bandits were killed while no casualty was listed on the government’s side as bodies of the killed bandits are also recovered.
Meantime a government soldier was killed after an IED (improvised explosive device) planted by communist guerrillas exploded in Tapaz, Capiz, on Tuesday morning.
Reports identified the killed government trooper as Corporal Ricky Bill Farinas who was killed following the blast at about 6:15 a.m. Tuesday.
The military said that based on reports they received, an armed encounter between troops coming from the 61st Infantry Batallion under 1st Lt. Jan Batayan and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels under alias “Pigoy” then took place following the explosion at Sitio Tina, Brgy Acuña, Tapaz, Capiz.
Army spokesman Colonel Benjamin Hao said the encounter was a result of the report from the residents that the NPA is laying an IED or land mine along the road going to the barangay proper. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)
