Seven cops killed in Basilan ambush

By Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 06/28/2009 6:17 PM

At least seven policemen where killed by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in an ambush in Sumisip town in Basilan province early Sunday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Salic Macapantar, Basilan police chief, identified the slain policemen as Inspector Reyman Jannatul, Police Officer 1 Abdullatip Sallim, PO1 Ibrahim Sakib, PO1 Jabar Jalilul, PO1 Muhaddal Hajal, PO1 Omar Pallong and PO1 Anggo Kamlon. The slain cops were members of the 1520th Police Provincial Mobile Group.

Macapantar said that the group of Jannatul was conducting regular patrol and were on their way back to Maluso town when a group of still undetermined number of armed men fired at them at Sitio Mompol in Barangay Lower Benembengan in Sumisip town.

Macapantar added that Jannatul's group was able to fire back. It remains unclear however whether the bandits also suffered any casualties.

The bodies of the slain policemen were set to be transported to their headquarters in Maluso where they are expected to be immediately buried, following the Islam tradition.

Joint pursuit operations by the police and the Philippine Marines meanwhile were being conducted.

The ambush of the policemen came after two soldiers of an Army engineer unit assigned to construct school buildings were killed also by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in an attack in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan on Saturday night.

Col. Michaelo Salvaleon, Army’s 55th Engineer Brigade commander, identified the casualties as TSgt Luciano Abcede and PFC Danny Salian.

The soldiers were involved in the repair and construction of school buildings in Tipo-Tipo Central Elementary School.

Abcede, Salian and another soldier were inspecting the project site when they were fired at by armed men.

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