Suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighters killed five soldiers and wounded 23 others in a fierce gun battle Friday in Patikul, Sulu.
Government troops, trying to rescue the remaining hostages held by the bandit group, engaged the terrorists in a fierce hour-long gun battle that began around 4 p.m., according to Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom.
“Additional soldiers from the Scout Ranger were deployed in the area. The Abu Sayyaf fled and they are now the subject of the continuous pursuit operations,” said Besana.
One of the fatalities is a rookie soldier while the rest have a rank of corporal.
The 23 wounded soldiers were brought to the hospital for treatment.
Besana said the operation was part of the effort of the military leadership to rescue less than 10 foreigners and locals, and eventually wipe out the bandit group.
The ASG has been blamed for high-profile kidnappings of locals and foreigners in Mindanao and even in some areas in Malaysia.
ASG fighters are notorious for beheading hostages if their demands are not met.
Despite the relentless government campaign, the group continues to operate in Sulu and Basilan reportedly with the support of local communities whose members are mostly relatives.
Besana said in the Patikul clash on Friday, the group is headed by a certain Hajan Sawadjaan who was with some 50 ASG members when the soldiers chanced upon them in Barangay Liang. (Aaron Recuenco)
