One ASG killed, 2 soldiers wounded in Sulu clash; top leader believed wounded

By Ronron
January 16, 2007

An Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member was killed, while two government soldiers were wounded in a heavy firefight Tuesday in Sulu following a discovery of a suspected ASG bomb-making facility.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Information Officer (PIO) Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said ASG leader Abu Solaiman (Jainal Antel Sali, Jr.), who headed the bandit group, was also believed to have been wounded in the clash, citing the duration of the gun battle.

Bacarro said the encounter started at 9:10 am when operatives of the Philippine Army’s 8th Special Forces Company under the Joint Task Force Comet raided a suspected ASG encampment at Mt. Dajo in Talipao town.

“The raid was the result of the information provided by the civilians in the area who are fed up with the extortion and other criminal activities perpetrated by the ASG,” Bacarro said.

He disclosed that when the government troops arrived at their target, around 60 ASG rebels, under Solaiman, were present, ensuing a one-hour firefight.

“The swiftness of the attack and the overwhelming fire power of the troops forced the ASG to withdraw. The troops gave chase, which resulted to another one-and-a-half hour of sporadic firefight,” Bacarro said.

The exchange of fires left a bandit dead, and two AFP enlisted personnel slightly wounded.

“In their haste to escape, the enemy left behind one killed and many more were believed to be wounded, among them probably Abu Solaiman, as evidenced by bloodstains along the enemy route of withdrawal,” Bacarro said.

Soliaman has a $5 million bounty on his head for his involvement in several terrorist activities of the ASG, among them the bombing in February 2004 of the Superferry 14 passenger vessel, which killed hundreds of civilians.

Bacarro said government troops recovered later during the clearing operations at the encounter site several improvised explosive devices, one 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, two combat shoes, five lower BDA (Battle Dress Attire) uniforms, two upper BDA uniforms, one Poncho, seven combat packs with personal belongings, one M14 telescopic guide, and voluminous documents with high intelligence value.

“Joint Task Force Comet has again preempted an ASG plan to bomb hapless civilians, both Christians and Moslems, in Jolo and other areas,” Bacarro said.

The ASG, in connivance allegeldy with the Jeemah Islamiyah, was blamed for the series of bombings recently in Mindanao, and in past major bomb attacks in the different parts of the country./DMS