MNLF integrees repulse Abu counterstrike

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Former rebels integrated into the Armed Forces repulsed a band of Abu Sayyaf bandits who attacked a military outpost in a remote barangay in Sulu.

Armed with automatic weapons and machineguns, former Moro National Liberation Front fighters drove back followers of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, commander of Task Force Sulu, said Radulan’s men attacked an outpost of the Army’s 4th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Pansul in Indanan town at around 8:10 p.m. to divert troops running after their main group in the jungles of Patikul.

"Radulan’s group conducted the diversionary attack on our troops to reduce the pressure we are injecting to their main group in Patikul," he said.

Tolentino said the Abu Sayyaf suffered an "undetermined number" of casualties in the ensuing fierce fighting between government troops and the bandits.

"It was night and dark that the bandits were able to drag away their casualties so that troops could not determine how many of the enemies were wounded," he said.

"But the troops were definite the enemy was inflicted with casualties," Tolentino said.

Since Sunday, sporadic fighting between Army troops and the Abu Sayyaf has been going on in the towns of Patikul, Indanan and Talipao after the bandits broke out of their main jungle base in Mt. Sinumaan, Tolentino added.

Troops clashed with the bandits in Indanan on Sunday, barely two hours before the arrival of Armed Forces chief Gen. Benjamin Defensor Jr. in Jolo.

The soldiers were mopping up when they encountered 20 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Barangay Timbangan. – Roel Pareño