Kidnap gang member killed in Zambo clash

From the Mindanao Examiner (Jan 23, 2019): Kidnap gang member killed in Zambo clash

Security forces killed a member of a kidnapping group following a firefight in Zamboanga del Norte’s Sirawai town in southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday.

Army Capt. Clint Antipala, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said policemen and soldiers were patrolling the village of Sipakit when they ran into a group of bandits and firefight ensued.

He said Jul Hassan was killed in the fighting, but other gunmen managed to escape from the running gunbattle. Hassan was a member of the Jamilon Tukalan Group, blamed by authorities for the spate of ransom kidnappings and extortion activities in the province.

Antipala said a report by Lt. Col. Danilo Ambe, commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion, said security forces also recovered a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver and one fragmentation grenade, including a cell phone. He said there were no police or military casualties in the clash.

Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the division commander, praised the troops for the slaying of Hassan and said the operation against lawless groups in the province is continuing. “Our campaign against armed groups together with police will be relentless in order to minimize the atrocities and attain a just and lasting peace in our area,” he said.

Last week, soldiers also clashed with in the neighboring town of Sibuco and one infantryman was killed. Troops were serving arrest warrants on a criminal gang leader, Basiran Ahil Mudja, when fighting erupted.

Mudja’s group fought with security forces for about 15 minutes. The gunmen managed to escape from the troops. Mudja has two warrants of arrest for murder and attempted murder in the province, which is also a stronghold of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front and bandits.

It was unknown if the gunmen belong to the same group or not.

https://mindanaoexaminer.com/kidnap-gang-member-killed-in-zambo-clash/