Four suspected ASG rebels nabbed in Sulu

By Ronron
August 20, 2007

Four suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fell Sunday in the hands of government troops in Sulu following a raid of their suspected hideout, a military statement said Monday.

The four suspected Moro rebels were caught by surprise, said Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael of the Sulu-based Armed Forces Joint Task Force Comet, when their suspected lair was raided at around 2am the other day (Sunday) in Barangay Tanjung in Indanan town.

Rafael said the raid was conducted by the Special Operations Command, augmented by the Air Force and the Navy after receiving reports from civilians about the presence of said suspected rebels in the area.

Recovered from the apprehended suspects were an M653 assault with bi-pod, three M16 rifles, three bandoleers with three long and five short magazines for M16 and 300 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one Motorola GP 68 radio with charger.

The M653 is reportedly being used by a leader of the ASG.

“The safehouses are believed to be used by the ASG as arms cache and transshipment point for ammunition and food stuffs they purchased in Sulu and other outlying areas,” Rafael said.

“The raid on the ASG safe houses had cut off their support system, denying them much needed ammunition and other resources necessary for their survival,” he added.

The suspects are now undergoing tactical interrogation with the military.

Twenty-seven soldiers died while several others were wounded in a series of firefight over a week ago in Sulu province against suspected ASG rebels and renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)./DMS