Sulu clash death toll rises to 11

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The death toll from last Wednesday’s firefight in Sulu went up to 11 yesterday as government forces continued to chase the Abu Sayyaf in its bailiwicks in the jungles of Patikul town.

The military said 10 were killed from the bandit group, with an Army officer identified as 2Lt. Ronald Detalla the lone fatality from the government side.

A total of 15 were wounded during the firefight with some 300 Abu Sayyaf led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.

The fighting began late Wednesday in Barangay Buhanginan in the jungles of Patikul.

The military said seven of the troops were wounded in the skirmish.

They were identified as Capt. Edmar Samonte, Sergeants Wilson Fontanil and Arthur Andama, and Private First Class Ernie de Guzman, Joemar Andrez, Dennis Desembrana and Albert Dinio.

“As of 8 a.m today Dec. 31 at least 10 Abu Sayyaf were killed and 15 wounded based on the ground troops’ reports and backed by intelligence reports,” Maj. Felimon Tan Jr., spokesman for Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said.

Tan said the wounded soldiers are now in stable condition and would be transported to the Camp Navarro hospital in Zamboanga City for treatment.

The encounter in Sulu happened more than two weeks after government forces launched an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan.

The military said 26 terrorists and three soldiers were killed during the operation in Al-Barka town but not a single body of an Abu Sayyaf was recovered.

Previous reports said a Malaysian jihadist believed to have links with the international terrorist group Islamic State was among those killed in the offensive.

Security officials previously said they were verifying whether Malaysian terrorist Abu Anas was one of the fatalities in the offensives conducted from Dec. 14 to 20.

Anas, whose real name is Mohd Najib Hussein, was reportedly a bomb expert and an important figure in the IS Black Flag cell of Universiti Malaya professor Mahmud Ahmad.

Philippine authorities previously claimed that there is no credible and verified IS threat in the country.

They, however, admitted that some local groups are trying to associate themselves with the international terror group, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks including the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. – Alexis Romero, Jaime Laude