Marine trooper killed, 5 others wounded in Sulu ASG ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 11): Marine trooper killed, 5 others wounded in Sulu ASG ambush

A trooper from Marine Battalion Landing Team- 9 was killed while five others were wounded after a group of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) brigands ambushed them shortly after a tree planting mission in Sitio Bakud, Barangay Bid Parang, Sulu Tuesday morning.

Capt. Ryan Lacuesta, 2nd Marine Brigade civil military operations officer, said the incident took place around 11 a.m.

He said troopers from Marine Battalion Landing Team-9 and employees from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Jolo Jaycees had just finished planting trees at the Parang Elementary School when the brigands fired on their convoy consisting of three M-35 trucks, one V-150 armored fighting vehicle, one KM-450 truck, and two civilian vehicles.

He said the firefight lasted for 30 minutes and resulted in the death of one Marine trooper, wounding of five others and undetermined number in the side of the ASG.

Lacuesta attributes the attack to the retaliatory actions of the ASG on government clearing operations last Feb. 8 which resulted in the death of six ASG men in Barangay Mabahay, Talipao, Sulu.

"Right now, the government forces-- the Marines together with the Philippine National Police and the local government unit are now conducting law enforcement operations in Parang municipality to locate and neutralize the perpetrators of this ambush incident," he concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=614876