TWO soldiers, one of them an Army major, and at least six Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while two other soldiers were wounded after a group of more than 30 bandits ambushed on Monday afternoon a convoy of 180 soldiers and civilians in Basilan.
Col. Carlito Galvez, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade, said the incident happened at Pagtawanan, Magcawa, Al-Barka, Basilan.
The gun battle involving soldiers of the 18th Infantry Battalion happened at around 3 p.m. and resulted in the death of Maj. Alin Kannung, 53, executive officer of the 32nd IB, and TSgt. Ferdinand Costan of the 18th IB.
Galvez said some US troops were in the convoy but were not wounded.
“Sila [US troops] ang donors ng 20 goats for dispersal under the USAid [US Agency for International Development] project. They wanted to inspect the minimal cost project. But when the gun battle broke out they immediately withdrew from the scene of the firefight,” he said.
Galvez said six bandits were also killed in the firefight that lasted for about four hours.
He said the soldiers were in a six- truck convoy when attacked by the bandits.
“Our troops were supposed to bring 20 goats to a pilot project of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process [Opapp] in Barangay Bohe Piyang when fired upon by the bandits. The convoy stopped and engaged them,” Galvez said.
He said the bandits were led by Basir Kasaran and Musana Jamiri.
During the gun battle, Kannung ang Kosan led the assault but snipers’ bullets hit them and they died on the spot.
The bandits withdrew leaving their dead upon sensing the arrival of reinforcements.
After clearing operations, the military learned that some of the armed men were allegedly members of another bandit group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) of renegade Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander Ameril Umbra Kato.
“The ASG and BIFF are both bandit groups,” Galvez said.
Kato formed his BIFF after the MILF expelled him from the rebel organization for not supporting the peace process with the government. In October 2012 President Aquino and MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad signed in Malacañang the Framework Agreement (FRAG) that serves as a starting point of the peace panels to work out for final signing of a peace pact.
In October 2011 19 Army Special Forces troops were killed and 14 others were seriously wounded when more than 300 MILF and Abu Sayyaf members attacked more than 80 soldiers, leading to a daylong gun battle in barangay Cambug.
The soldiers were supposed to serve the arrest warrants of wanted criminals when attacked by the rebels and bandits.
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