Government troops overrun Sayyaf training camp

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A suspected Abu Sayyaf training camp was captured by government troops following an encounter that left five suspected militants killed in a jungle near Sumisip, Basilan, officials said yesterday.

Troops from the Army’s 4th Scout Ranger Company seized several bomb making materials from the training camp that was located at a mountain ridge in Barangay Pamatsaken in Sumisip, Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said.

The training camp fell Tuesday after government troops encountered a big group of suspected Abu Sayyaf extremists, initially killing five gunmen during the firefight.

A soldier identified as Pfc. Arnulfo Doral was killed while nine others were wounded in an explosion that was triggered by booby traps planted inside the training camp.

Task Force Trillium chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama said the troops were going after the bandit group led by Puruji Indama that attacked Isabela City earlier last month.

Western Mindanao Command spokesperson 1Lt. Steffani Cacho said the troops had encountered the same group that earlier staged a landmine attack on Army troops in Abong-Abong peak near Sumisip. Four Army Scout Rangers were wounded in the attack.

“There is a possibility (that they belong to the group that staged the landmine attack). We recovered (the same) bomb-making paraphernalia from the camp,” Cacho said.

The soldiers overran the camp and recovered several explosives and electronic circuit boards used for improvised explosive devices.

Officials said the materials and the manuals seized indicated the camp was used as training center of the Abu Sayyaf under Khair Mundos, a highly trained Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant.

Pama said the bomb components seized from the camp were similar to the explosives used in the attack in Isabela City last April 13 that left six civilians, three soldiers and a policeman dead and 18 others wounded.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Indama sneaked into the provincial capital of Isabela disguised as police commandos and attacked.

Pama, on the other hand, warned the Abu Sayyaf might even attack on election day. - Alexis Romero