(UPDATE 2) ASG leader, 4 others killed in Basilan clash – military
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/03/2009 1:30 PM
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MANILA - Two suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits were confirmed killed while 3 more including a leader of the bandit group were believed to have perished in an encounter with military and government militia members in Basilan province early Tuesday morning, the military said.
Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao (WesMinCom) commanding general, said Abu Sayyaf Group leader Ridwan Musa was among those who were believed to have been killed in the more than 5-hour firefight.
Dolorfino said the firefight occurred between patrolling members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-9 and civilian volunteer organization (CVO) members when they encountered the group allegedly led by Musa in Sitio Bohe Kimeh in Barangay Tuburan proper in Hadji Mohammad Ajul town in Basilan around 1 a.m..
The military commander said 2 bodies were recovered by soldiers after the firefight.
“Unidentified pa, tapos as per intelligence report, 3 others pa ang namatay na Abu Sayyaf kasama iyong lider na si Ridwan Musa,” said Dolorfino.
Dolorfino said the death of Musa was significant since Musa, he said, was a known leader of the bandit group in Basilan.
“Definitely, kasi leader ‘yang si Ridwan Musa, significant, kilala siyang lider ng ASG sa Basilan, significant,” added Dolofino.
Musa was involved in many criminal cases among them kidnappings, said the Marines general.
The WesMinCom chief also said that soldiers recovered a rocket propelled grenade, 1 M16 rifle, 1 caliber-30 M1 Garand rifle and 1 M79 grenade launcher after the encounter.
Dolorfino said however that a CVO member was wounded in the firefight whom he identified as Rommel De Los Reyes. No member of the Philippine Marines was wounded, said Dolorfino.
It was believed that the Abu Sayyaf were recruiting members in the area when the Marines came upon them, said WesMinCom spokesman Maj. Ramon David Hontiveros.
The Abu Sayyaf, set up in the 1990s allegedly with money from Al-Qaeda, has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, including a series of bombings and kidnappings.
Joint police and military teams were pursuing the remaining members of the group. With a report from Leila Vicente, ABS-CBN Zamboanga and Agence France-Presse
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