Lull in fighting between MNLF, and Abu Sayyaf in Sulu - police

From the Zamboanga Today (Feb 7): Lull in fighting between MNLF, and Abu Sayyaf in Sulu - police

The battle between Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) guerrillas and Abu Sayyaf militants in the troubled island province of Sulu has subsided, a top local police official said.

“Pansamantalang nagpapahinga sila ngayon... walang bakbakan at walang putukan ngayon,” Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra, police chief of Sulu, said in an interview over RMN Straight to the Point.

The death toll in the fighting between the two armed groups in Patikul, Sulu, has reached 26 wherein eight MNLF fighters killed in the clash were beheaded by Abu Sayyaf.

According to the reports, the MNLF forces were trying to secure the release of hostages, Jordanian television journalist Baker Atyani who is kept for months in the jungles of Sulu when the fighting erupted.

It was learned from MNLF sources that Habier Malik’s group clashed with a group led by Julasiman Sawadjaan, who is believed to be holding Atyani, a Japanese treasure hunter Mamaito Katayama, and two other Filipinos—Edmund Gumbahali, a consultant of the Non-Violent Peace Force, and Carlos Tee, an airport engineer of Jolo Airport.

Freyra made clear that they are not siding anyone involved in the conflict, except the civilians numbering about 400 families who fled from their homes for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, had earlier said government forces were not intervening in the fight between the two groups.

He said that it’s difficult for them to get involved because it might appear that they have something to do with the fighting.

Based on police and MNLF tallies reported earlier showed that 18 of the bandits were killed, 26 people were killed altogether in the gun battle.

http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/13054-lull-in-fighting-between-mnlf-and-abu-sayyaf-in-sulu-police.html