2 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in Basilan clash

Kidnap victim Guankim Lim Maujon is rushed to a waiting
ambulance after authorities rescued her from the Abu Sayyaf

MANILA - Two days after State forces stepped up their offensive on the Abu Sayyaf Group, which abducted a local businesswoman on May 5, two members of the bandit group were killed in a clash with soldiers and civilian volunteers in Barangay Tuburan in Hadji Mohammad Ajul town, Basilan.

Captain Ben June Cerbo, public affairs officer of the Western Mindanao Command, said Friday the firefight broke out Thursday morning as elements of the 4th Special Forces Battalion (4SFBn) under the Joint Task Group Basilan and Civilian Volunteer Organization were pursuing the ASG.

 “Two bandits killed in a 30-minute fierce gunfight that happened at around 7:50 a.m. One of them was Hakim Entong. The bandits were among the group of Ustadz Abbas Alam,” Cerbo said.

Earlier, 5 ASG men were killed by pursuing members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in Panamao, Sulu, as they were rescuing a Filipino-Chinese businesswoman abducted the previous day from her home.

The government side sustained no casualties, officials said.

Cerbo said the CVO fighters, led by village chief Manding Salih, first engaged Alam’s group at 5:30 a.m. in a 45-minute running gun battle. The bandits withdrew, just before government reinforcements arrived.

The combined military- CVO units gave chase; a second gunfight ended with the death of the two bandits. Other ASG members escaped in small groups.