AFP says nine Abu Sayyaf bandits were slain in Sulu fighting; 20 injured

From Malaya (Oct 30): AFP says nine Abu Sayyaf bandits were slain in Sulu fighting; 20 injured

A MILITARY commander in Sulu province yesterday said that at least nine Abu Sayyaf terrorists were killed and 20 others were injured in last Sunday’s clash with government soldiers in the outskirts of Patikul town in Sulu, where the bandits were reportedly keeping hostages. Col. Orlando de Leon, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, said the information was relayed to the military by local officials and residents after the fierce fighting that broke out in the village of Bakong at around 6:30 a.m. and lasted up to the afternoon. “That’s based on the reports of local officials and residents who gave us names (of the dead Abu Sayyaf men,” said De Leon. De Leon said two of the Abu Sayyaf terrorists who reportedly died in the fighting were identified as one Sahiron Ajil and one Ismim Sahiron, who were said to be relatives of senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron. De Leon said the troops were not able to recover any enemy body because they were also busy extricating their dead and wounded.  “We have no body count (of the enemy casualties). It was a close-quarter battle and we (Marines and Abu Sayyaf) were separated only by a river. Since we also had casualties, we evacuated our casualties instead of recovering enemy bodies,” he added....

http://malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/16537-afp-says-nine-abu-sayyaf-bandits-were-slain-in-sulu-fighting-20-injured