Three members of the dreaded Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) died following an encounter with government troops in Sulu on Friday afternoon.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Task Force Sulu, said the encounter took place in Panamao, Sulu at 2:30 p.m. with troops from JTF Sulu under Lt. Col. Densing chancing upon some 20 fully-armed ASG men at the vicinity of So Buling-Buling, Brgy. Suuh.
The firefight lasted about 10 minutes.
Apart from the cadaver of the three slain terrorists, military forces also recovered one M16 rifle and one cal .45 pistol.
Sobejana said the fatalities are all Patikul-based ASG members under Radullan Sahiron.
The bodies were turned-over to the local government for interment.
There was no casualty from the government side.
“We attribute the recent success in our campaign against the Abu-Sayaff Kidnap for Ransom Group to the support and cooperation extended to us by the concerned Tausugs who wanted peace to reign in the beautiful province of Sulu,” Sobejana said. (Francis T. Wakefield)
