Abus attack Army camp in Sulu; one soldier wounded

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A soldier was wounded in a pre-dawn attack staged by al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants against a military patrol base in the mountains of Maimbung, Sulu, military officials said.

Elements of the 33rd Army Battalion and 22nd Division Reconnaissance Company were encamped in a temporary patrol base in Barangay Tandu Patung when they came under heavy fire at about 1 a.m. Friday.

Maj. Eugene Batara, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the Abu Sayyaf militants pelted the base with rounds of M203 rifle grenades, sending the soldiers scampering for defensive position.

He said the troops retaliated after immediate surveillance to ensure the firing positions of the militants who retreated under volleys of fire.

“The incident was a clear indication that the terrorist group is not at all observing the holy month of Ramadan. The Abu Sayyaf group had been using religion to advocate their group and is often seen to interpret the teachings of Islam in their favor,” Batara said.

The government troops in Sulu and Basilan have been taking extra caution in their police actions through intelligence-driven operations to avoid disturbing the predominantly Muslim residents of the two provinces.

The military said it could not halt any operation even during the period of Ramadan, citing intelligence reports that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek continued to find shelter with the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

Government troops have already saturated all the known traditional areas of the Abu Sayyaf, including the base in Tandu Patung in Maimbung that was harassed by the local militants.

Batara believed that the attack could be a diversionary attempt or intimidation to force the troops out of their occupation of the area.