Basilan clash drags on, brings death toll to 8

By Ronron
December 19, 2007

The clash between government forces, and joint Abu Sayyaf and rouge Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters dragged on on Wednesday morning, bringing the death toll at eight, and the wounded at 12, a military field commander said.

Lt. Col. Vincent Teodoro, commander of the 7th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT), said in a phone interview that the last engagement happened at 6:40 am yesterday in the same barangay of Bohe-Suyak in Ungkaya Pukan town.

“The fighting is still concentrated there. We have encircled the enemy,” Teodoro said.

The fighting began early Tuesday morning when the government troops assaulted an alleged camp of the ASG and rouge MILF fighters in the area.

Teodoro said the ASG and MILF number about 70, while the government troops come from the MBLT 8, MBLT 7, MBLT 1 and the 61st Force Reconnaissance Company.

He said the ASG and MILF elements led by sub-commander Furuji Indama have been using rocket-propelled grenades and 81-millimeter mortars against the government troops.

So far, the two killed and five wounded Marine soldiers during the fighting on Tuesday have been flown to Zamboanga City, said Teodoro.

He said the casualty on the ASG-MILF side has also risen, with six dead and seven wounded already reported.

Among the killed armed fighters is a brother of Indama, Teodoro said.

Teodoro disclosed that the Marine elements have already established a detachment in the area to sustain the fighting against the bandits.

“They are waiting for each other to strike at the proper time,” he said.

As of 2:30 pm, Teodoro said the 6:40 am engagement has yet to be followed through.

The government has stepped up its fighting in Basilan, as well as in the neighboring island province of Sulu, following the attack against Marine elements last July 10 in Al-Barka town that left many soldiers killed and wounded./DMS