Abu Sayyaf leader, 5 others killed in battle vs military in Sulu

November 25, 2019

ZAMBOANGA CITY - A mid-level leader of the Abu Sayyaf and five followers were killed while 11 others wounded in two separate clashes in the province of Sulu, military officials said Monday.

Four of the 11 wounded were Abu Sayyaf while the remaining seven were soldiers.

Col. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade. said one Abu Sayyaf member was killed while four were wounded in the first clash that took place around 2:40 p.m. Saturday in Sitio Itum, Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul.

Patrimonio said the clash, which lasted for about 45 minutes, ensued when the troops were checking the presence of the Abu Sayyaf, as reported by the civilians. The slain bandit was only identified as a certain Jalaide.

Patromonio said five soldiers from the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion were  wounded.

He said they were taken to Camp Bautista Station Hospital for treatment and were discharged around 10 a.m. Sunday.

He said the second clash took place around 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Sitio Huton Mahablo, Barangay Silangkan, Indanan.

He said five Abu Sayyaf members, including Sibih Pisih, a sub-leader, were killed. Pisih was previously under the group of Radullan Sahiron, the oldest Abu Sayyaf leader, and a certain Roger Sajih.

Pisih has allied with the group of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan when the latter separated from Sahiron.

Patrimonio said Pisih is in-charge of the Abu Sayyaf's offshore kidnappings, specifically in the borders of Tawi-Tawi and Sabah.

He added that Pisih has a warrant of arrest for the massacre of 22 civilians  in 2015, Talipao.

Patrimonio said that two soldiers were wounded in the second clash that lasted for about 30 minutes. They belong to the Army’s 2nd Special Forces Battalion.

The troops recovered one M-653 rifle, one Barret sniper rifle, and a caliber .45 pistol.

Patrimonio said the remains of the slain Abu Sayyaf bandits “are now for forensic investigation of whom three are yet to be identified.”

Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, congratulated the troops for the series of successful combat operations against the Abu Sayyaf .

“We will hunt you down one-by-one if you will not surrender. We will not stop until all of you are brought to justice,” Vinluan said.

On Friday, Abu Talha, the liaison of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) to the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was killed in a clash with government troops in Sitio Tubig Amu, Barangay Tanum, Patikul.

Talha is an ISIS-trained on explosives and serves as instructor of the Abu Sayyaf bandits to manufacture improvised explosive device. DMS