Marines: Abus short on water, medicine

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Abu Sayyaf bandits who have run out of water and medicines attacked soldiers guarding a water reserve area in Patikul town in Sulu, military officials said yesterday.

Intelligence reports said most of the bandits have died due to dehydration and dysentery.

A soldier was killed while four others were wounded last Sunday when the Abu Sayyaf attacked the soldiers on blocking position near the water reserve in Barangay Panglayahan in Patikul.

"I can assure you if ever we sustained casualties, definitely the other side sustained much more casualties. That’s why they are looking for medicines," Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya told newsmen.

Abaya visited the wounded Marines and awarded them with wounded personnel medals at the Camp Navarro General Hospital at Southcom headquarters.

Staff Sergeant Jessie Papa, one of the four wounded Marine troopers, said they were on blocking position when an undetermined number of fully armed Abu Sayyaf bandits descended towards their position from the forested areas in the mountain.

The other wounded soldiers – one of them in serious condition – were Ssg. Dennis Bendania, Ssg. Ireneo Mendoza and Cpl. Jerson Caalem, all under the 4th Marine Battalion Landing Team.

"They were armed with 90RR and 57RR (shoulder-fired recoilless rockets) as we engaged them in fierce gun battle," Papa said.

He added that the military believes the bandits "were trying to take the water reserve position as they ran out of water in the mountains where they have been hiding."

Papa said the Abu Sayyaf fired at them with rockets, narrowly missing them, but the shrapnel from the secondary explosion wounded them.

Though wounded, the soldiers foiled the bandits’ plans when they retaliated with 90RR and grenade launchers, according to Papa.

He said two bandits were seen to have died on the spot, while an undetermined number were dragged away by the fleeing bandits.

"They broke up. They ran out of water," Papa said.

Abaya said the Abu Sayyaf were forced to descend from the jungle because they were trying to secure supplies of ammunition, medicine and water.

He added that the bandits are running away in large numbers "because they know that a sizable number of troops are running after them."

Explaining the series of encounters initiated by government troops, Abaya said the bandits "know we are getting better quality intelligence information." – With reports from Jaime Laude