ASG member killed in fresh encounter with gov’t troops in Sulu

By Ronron
October 9, 2007

A suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed in an encounter Monday afternoon against government troops in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, military officials said Tuesday.

Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of the Sulu-based Joint Task Force Comet, said the latest clash happened at around 4:30 pm at Sitio Lumbo, Barangay Mabahay in Talipao town.

Rafael said elements of the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion initially discovered a temporary rebel encampment when they found out later it was being inhabited by 40 to 50 armed people.

Rafael said the inhabitants are believed to be ASG members and rouge members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Rafael said the clash lasted for about 30 minutes, resulting to the death of one suspected ASG member and the recovery of a Garand rifle. There was no casualty on the government side, he said.

Asked if the engaged rebels include the high-value targets of the government like Radullan Sahiron, Doc Abu, Albader Parad, and the two Jemaah Islamiyah bombers, namely Umar Patek and Dulmatin, Rafael said: “We are still verifying if there are high-value targets in the encounter.”

But he maintained that these terrorist leaders are still in Sulu, saying, “we have a naval blockade in place to prevent their escape.”

Some 4,000 troops have been brought to Sulu in the last few months to run after the terrorists following the major encounters in August that left at least 27 soldiers killed./DMS