Marines clash with Vagni's kidnappers; 8 killed
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/11/2009 1:04 PM
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Two members of the Philippine Marines team pursuing the Abu Sayyaf bandits holding Italian Red Cross member Eugenio Vagni were killed in an encounter in Indanan town, Sulu province, early Thursday.
Lt. Col. Edgardo Arevalo, military spokesman of the Task Force ICRC, said two members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 (MBLT-4) were killed after encountering the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Albader Parad in Sitio Malimbaya, Barangay Timahu around 5:00 a.m.
Arevalo said the MBLT-4 reinforced another Marine unit that discovered the group's lair in Sitio Tandu Pugot, in the same village. He said four other members of the unit were injured in the clash.
He said at least six members of Parad's group were killed during the encounter, and he expects more bodies from the bandits' side as clearing operations were ongoing as of this posting.
Arevalo said Parad was leading the group with another Abu Sayyaf leader, Dr. Abu, and Jemaah Islamiyah operative, Omar Patek.
The military spokesman did not mention in his report if Vagni was sighted with the bandits during the clash.
It has been 148 days since the Italian was kidnapped with two other Red Cross members, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba.
The three were seized after visiting the Sulu provincial jail in Patikul town last January 15.
The bandits released Lacaba and Notter on April 2 and April 18, respectively. With a report from Noel Alamar, radio dzMM
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