By Ronron
January 25, 2007
Despite his notoriety, Abu Solaiman, the second highest leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), was shot dead last January 16 at a time when he was least prepared to fight.
The Philippine soldier who ended the ASG leader’s life disclosed to Camp Aguinaldo reporters on Thursday that Solaiman, whose real name is Jainal Antel Sali, Jr. and who carried a $5 million bounty on his head, had just responded to a call of nature when he was assaulted.
In a news conference, Corporal Raul Suacillo of the Philippine Army’s 8th Special Forces Company (SFC) said he was not aware at first that the man defecating some four to six meters in front of him at Mt. Dajo in Talipao,Sulu around 9am of January 16 was the planner of many ASG kidnapping and bombing activities.
In Filipino, the 33-year-old soldier narrated: “I waited for him to finish (defecating). When he was finished, I called his attention so we wouldn’t be compromised. I just really wanted to apprehend him. We even looked at each other eye to eye. I told him, come here, be quiet. But instead of approaching me, he run away and shouted, Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great)!”
Suacillo said this prompted him to fire his M14 rifle at the man he would know later as Solaiman.
Instantly, Solaiman’s body slumped on the ground and a fierce firefight would ensue for three hours, or until 12:15 pm, between the 60-man 8th SFC and the 60-strong ASG.
Two government enlisted men would then be wounded in the firefight.
The company commander, 1Lt. Almirante Mijares, said in the same press conference that the two bodyguards and other men of Solaiman tried hard but failed to retrieve their leader’s body because of the intense assault.
“As commander, it is my call of what is going to be the next command, (which is to call for) Fire! All of us opened fire to the encampment. Then after a volume of a suppressive fire, we did not hear a fire from the enemy. I called for a ceasefire. When there was a lull, they positioned an M203 towards us. I commanded again for a volume of fire,” Mijares recalled the clash in Filipino.
“The two aides did not leave the location because they wanted to retrieve the body of their boss (Solaiman). After one hour, one of them shouted Allahu Akbar but they no longer have any companions,” he went on.
Mijares explained that Allahu Akbar has become a battle cry for the ASG, which they use to prepare for an assault and order a fight back.
The 30-year-old officer said they were already aware of the presence of high-value targets at said encampment of the ASG because this was disclosed to them during a briefing prior to deployment.
Since they were not sure of the identity of the slain bandit, Mijares said they buried him first at the site after taking pictures of him. But when the confirmation came the following day that it was indeed Solaiman, they dug him up and brought to the military camp in Barangay Busbus, Jolo, Sulu.
He said there were reports that Jeemah Islamiyah bomber Dulmatin and ASG sub-commander Albader Parad were with that group and wounded, but no confirmation is immediately available.
Mijares said the encampment indeed had leaders because of its make up, and its placement at a higher level, some 200 meters away from their security blocking force downhill.
“We can say it is the commanders’ group because when we saw the bunkers, there were flowers. It looked like paradise. The pathway to the bunkers were filled with fresh flowers. And we saw them walking around with aides all the time,” he said.
And when they inspected the bunkers later after the encounter, they found some had beddings, comfort rooms, chairs, and sofa. With that set up, they suspect the camp had been inhabited for two to three months already.
A total of 17 bunkers were found at that site, with several improvised explosive devices, a Magellan GPS (Global Positioning System), six rounds of grenade launcher ammunition, 17 blasting caps, one tester, two soldering iron, assorted electronic materials used for bomb/explosives, assorted medical paraphernalia, and other combat stuffs.
Special Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, in the same press conference, commended his men for taking the harder route to the ASG camp, which was to track the other side of the mountain to reach directly the commanders’ camp at the upper level.
Had the government troops taken the easier route, which is from the foot of the mountain, then they would have given the high-value targets the chance to escape while they are being confronted by the ordinary ASG fighters on blocking position.
Because of courageous act, Ortiz said Suacillo was given a two-rank promotion by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Wednesday night at Malacanang Palace. He now holds the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Five other enlisted men were also given a one-rank spot promotion.
“We were given assurance that the rest (from the 8SFC) will also get one rank promotions… We are recommending (Mijares) also for promotion,” Ortiz said.
With the series of successful operations of the AFP in Mindanao, Ortiz said they hope that the terrorism problem there would be finished as soon as possible.
“We are really committed. We really intend to finish this group. That is why the objective of (OPLAN) Ultimatum is to neutralize up to the last Abu Sayyaf there is in Sulu, not only in Jolo, also Basilan, because we really recognize the threat of this group,” Ortiz said.
Aside from Solaiman, the AFP has also killed ASG chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, subleader Jundam Jamalul (alias Black Killer), and ASG-Urban Terrorist Group leader Binang Sali, among others.
The AFP’s OPLAN Ultimatum was launched on August 1, 2006./DMS
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