Wednesday, January 02, 2008 Marines, Abu Sayyaf clash on New Year's Eve in Sulu By Bong Garcia
Government forces have clashed on Monday against gunmen believed to be members of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in the province of Sulu, south of Zamboanga City.
Sulu-based Joint Task Force Comet chief Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael said the clash took place around 2:20 p.m. in Barangay Pandan-Pandan in the town of Kalingalang Kaluang.
Rafael said the troops were on security patrol in Pandan-Pandan when they chanced upon a group of some 10 gunmen.
He said the clash lasted for around 20 minutes before the gunmen fled in different directions when they were outmaneuvered by troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 11.
The troops suffered no casualties during the clash, according to Rafael, the overall military chief in the province of Sulu.
The town of Kalingalang Kaluang was also the site of the recent clash between government forces and Abu Sayyaf bandits allegedly backed by rouge Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members.
Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga has said the offensive against all forms of lawless elements within Westmincom area will continue even if some troops are on a holiday break.
Government troops have been deployed to pursue the Abu Sayyaf bandits who are responsible for the series of kidnappings of Filipinos and foreigners in Mindanao and in nearby Malaysia.
