Troops pursue Abu Sayyaf ambushers

MAJOR General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, has deployed on Saturday the Army’s 3rd Scout Ranger and 64th Infantry Battalions to pursue the group of Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Wims Wakil who ambushed rubber plantation workers on Friday.

One worker of Tumahubong Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Integrated Development Cooperative (TARBIDC) rubber plantation was killed while 35 others were wounded when suspected Wakil’s group ambushed them around 11:45 a.m. Friday in the village of Sapah Bulak, Sumisip, Basilan.

Wakil is a former official of TARBIDC, which owns some 967.80 hectares of rubber plantation.

Wakil has resigned from TARBIDC after he was accused of murder.

Cruz identified some of Wakil’s followers as Umair Wakil, Abul Wakil, Madie Umangkat Sahirin, Kursie Umangkat Sahirin and Cabot Mastul Astatul.

Twenty-nine of the wounded were admitted at the hospitals in Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.

The remaining six wounded victims, who were in critical condition, were airlifted to a hospital in Zamboanga City.

One of the victims said that the motive of the ambush could be extortion.

Wakil’s group had been demanding payment of protection money from TARBIDC but the management refused to give into to the demand.