AFP, BIFF troops clash in Sulu; nine killed

From the Manila Standard Today (Nov 15): AFP, BIFF troops clash in Sulu; nine killed

Five soldiers and four Abus Sayyaf bandits were killed while 26 other soldiers were wounded in almost five hours of fighting in Talipao, Sulu, even as the Bangsamoro Islamic Fighters reportedly suffered ‘heavy casualties’ in a separate clash against government troops in Maguindanao early Friday.

Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu said the  “major encounter,” started at 1 p.m after some 100 members of the elite 1st Scout Ranger Company led by Michael Asistores engaged around 300 bandits led by Radullan Sahiron.

“Right now, our soldiers are tracking them. Pursuit operations continue,” Arrojado said.

The military has yet to validate reports that three civilians were killed during the firefight.

In the Maguindanao clash, government security forces reportedly repulsed some 100 fully-armed BIFF rebels who tried to overrun a military detachment in the outskirt of Sultan Sabarongis town.

At least three civilians were hit in the crossfire during the firefight, as BIFF also launched artillery fire against another government positions in Sitio Kabasalan, Brgy Darampua at about 2:30 a.m.

The recent encounter erupted after the BIFF launched attacks on military posts in Sultan Sabarongis town while also targeting some civilians for liquidation in the past few days.

Army Captain Joan Petinglay, Public Affairs Officer (PAO) of the 6th Infantry Division said the military and police forces are conducting pursuit operations against the BIFF members involved in the attacks.

Petinglay said the BIFF forces, who were led by a certain Commander Karialan, were forced to retreat after hundreds of soldiers from the 601st Infantry Brigade reinforced the military detachment.

The BIFF rebels reportedly sought shelter in nearby camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which prevented the soldiers to stop the pursuit.

Petinglay said the military recovered documents, mobile phones, bandoleers and military paraphernalia from a BIFF encampment as the rebels retreated.

Neanwhile, the police said the group behind the November 9 twin bombings that injured a member of a police’s bomb squad and his K-9 sniffing dog belonged to the group of Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Furuji Indama.

Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, officer in charge of the Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office 9 (PRO9), said that based on the official report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Section of the Police Station 11 (Central) led by Senior Insp. Arlan Delumpines, there were four followers of Indama who were responsbile for the bombings.

The explosions transpired at the De Luxe Massage and Karaoke Bar located along Tomas Claudio Street at around 7:40 p.m.

“Information gathered disclosed that the incidents were perpetrated by four followers of Basilan-based ASG leader Furuji Indama. One of them was identified as certain Yaser alias “Yas” while the three cohorts are unidentified, two of them twins, as  natives of Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo, Basilan,” Samuddin said.

The suspects are described as follows: Yasser -- more or less 22 years old, 5’6” in height, around 55 kilograms, small built, brown complexion with long curly hair (shoulder level); twin brother 1 -- more or less 20, 5’4”, around 54 kg, small built, brown complexion with short straight hair; twin brother 2 -- more or less 20, 5’6”, around 60 kg, brown complexion with short curly hair; and unidentified, 20, 5’5”, small built, white complexion with short straight hair.

Samuddin said that prior to the explosions, the suspects reportedly stayed at a bunk house located at the house of Gafur Pingli in Barangay Taluksangay, Zamboanga City.

“This information is under validation by the intelligence section,” Samuddin said.

`According to the report of Delumpines, the origin of the plastic container used by the suspects in the second explosion was traced to the Unitop Convinience Store.

This was traced through the official receipt attached on the recovered plastic bag which was used as a wrapper to conceal the plastic container that contained the improvised explosive device (IED).

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/11/15/afp-biff-troops-clash-in-sulu-nine-killed/