3 Abus, 2 soldiers killed in Sulu encounter

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Five people, including three al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants and two soldiers, were killed in an encounter in the jungle of Maimbung, Sulu before dawn yesterday, according to military officials.

The military said five other soldiers were also wounded in the fierce gunbattle as government security forces conducted rescue operations for kidnap victim Ma. Rosalie Lao.

Maj. Eugene Batara Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesman said the fresh encounter sparked about 2:55 a.m. with government security forces composed of elements from the Naval Forces South (Navsouth) 6 and members of the Light Reaction Company (LRC), an elite composite military soldiers trained by the US military, attacking the terrorists’ lair.

Batara said the heavy fighting went on for one-hour before the undetermined num­ber of Abu Sayyaf, believed to be under Commander Albader Parad, retreated with several wounded followers.

The troops recovered three body counts of the Abu Sayyaf.

“Hot pursuit operation has been on-going while the government casualties were extricated immediately and brought to the trauma hospital inside Camp Bautista,” Batara said.

Pursuing troops recovered from the encounter site one M16 armalite rifle.

“The operation was conducted to rescue the kidnap victim,” according to Batara. It was not immediately known if kidnap victim Lao was with the rebel group during the encounter.

Lao, 58, was abducted by gunmen on Jan. 28 while on her way home in Barangay Kakuyagan Village in Jolo. – With AP