Fierce Philippine clashes leave 56 casualties

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Nov 15): Fierce Philippine clashes leave 56 casualties

At least 56 casualties were reported Saturday by the Philippine military in fierce clashes with Abu Sayyaf militants, many of them believed high in drugs, in the southern province of Sulu.

The Western Mindanao Command told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner that 5 soldiers were killed and 26 more wounded in the battle that began Friday afternoon in the hinterlands of Talipao town. The fighting lasted well into the night leaving at least 25 rebels dead and wounded and among the slain were two notorious Abu Sayyaf commanders Hairullah Asbang and Julie Ekit.

Col. Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, said Asbang was the brother-in-law of a senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron. “Among those who died were notorious leaders Hairullah Asbang and Juli Ekit. We accounted 10 dead and 15 Abu Sayyaf members wounded. We are confident that the Armed Forces of the Philippines can gradually decimate the Abu Sayyaf ranks,” he said.

Arrojado also said all wounded soldiers, mostly members of the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment, were rescued in Talipao and evacuated to hospitals on Friday night. He said more troops were sent to the town to block the Abu Sayyaf's escape routes. “The Abu Sayyaf has nowhere to hide if the civilians will cooperate with the military in identifying them and pinpointing their jungle hideouts,” he said.

Among the wounded in the fighting was 1st Lt. Michael Asistores,  member of the Philippine Military Class of 2007, and leader of the 1st Scout Ranger Company. He said that at about noontime on November 14,  his troops crawled stealthily and came as close as 20 meters from the Abu Sayyaf positions in their forest lair at the foot of Mount Tunggul and Mount Bunga.

“It was my recon elements led by (platoon leader) Lt. Dante Espiritu who spotted the bandits in a makeshift hut. He radioed to me that they will initiate contact as one of the bandits unknowingly approached their hiding positions in order to relieve himself.”

“Di na maantay ni Sprite (Espiritu) na dumugtong ako sa kanya kasi maapakan na sila ng kalaban na papunta sa kanilang taguan para magdumi. Nag-command na agad sya na i-engage na ang mga kalaban na iilang metro ang layo sa kanilang harapan,” Asistores said, narrating what transpired before the fighting.

He said the Scout Rangers started trading fires with the bandits using assault rifles and machineguns. Unknown to them, all surrounding hills nearby were occupied by at least 300 rebels led by notorious Abu Sayyaf leaders Radulan Sahiron, Jurim Hussein, Hatib Sawadjaan and the group of Asbang and Ekit.

Asistores said that Espiritu called for reinforcement minutes into the firefight during which two of his patrol members were wounded. “I could hear Esprite's voice over the radio amidst the heavy volumes of fire from various directions. They were almost surrounded by the enemy,” Asistores said, adding, they were only about 100 meters in their designated rally point.

Asistores said he assembled a platoon to help the embattled soldiers following attacks from all directions. “The bandits wanted to annihilate the platoon of Espiritu by attempting to surround them, so I positioned my platoon about 50 meters behind of the bandits to join the fight,” he said.

But Asistores said he was also assaulted by the Abu Sayyaf. “The young-looking bandits were very daring and unmindful of our fires. They kept running towards our position despite being hit repeatedly. They were very ferocious and daring,” he said.


Asistores said he also dispatched soldiers to collect the casualties from the position of Espiritu. Seeing the dead and wounded soldiers around him, Asistores said he pressed the fight by rallying the remaining soldiers to hold their line to provide support as the casualties are being evacuated.

After about 2 hours of clashes, Asistores said he was hit by shrapnel, but continued the fighting along with other soldiers. He said they also recovered marijuana cigarettes in the Abu Sayyaf lairs. “The Abu Sayyaf borrowed their courage from the marijuana leaves that they smoked before the firefight.  My men recovered some of the left-over of smoked marijuana in the encounter site. That solved the puzzle about their bravery in combat. They are drug-crazed fighters,” he said.

Asistores said that he and his men, who are now recuperating in military hospital at the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, are all willing to go back to Sulu and rejoin their unit to fight the Abu Sayyaf. “I will gladly go back and be with my men in the frontlines. We must crush the Abu Sayyaf and end its kidnapping atrocities,” he said.

AFP Chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., who condoled with the families of soldiers killed in the fighting, ordered the military on Saturday to immediately send medical teams, mission-essential equipment and additional supplies for the troops battling the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

 http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/11/fierce-philippine-clashes-leave-56.html