THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday, September 17, insisted that the September 14 encounter in Patikul, Sulu was legitimate, not a massacre as claimed by some sectors.
“We stand firm in our report that this was a legitimate encounter contrary to enemy propaganda that it was a “massacre,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said.
“The site of the encounter is a notorious ASG territory. That is a fact established by military and human intelligence. The folks of Patikul knows it very well such that no civilians dared to go or pass by the place,” he added.
The military claimed that the seven fatalities were members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group while the Suara Bangsamoro alleged that they were Tausug youths ages 18-20 years old who were carrying boxes of fruits which they harvested.
The military earlier said a firefight between the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Joint Task Force Sulu erupted around 1:30 p.m. Friday in Barangay Bakong.
The military said seven terrorists were killed while an ASG sub-leader, Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, was reportedly critically wounded.
Recovered after the firefight were several firearms which belonged to the terror group.
“We praise the combat skills of our soldiers in seizing the element of surprise and firepower. They were unfazed by volleys of retaliatory fire from more or less 100 Abu Sayyaf terrorists under senior leader Radullan Sahiron and sub leaders Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan and Idang Susukan,” said Arevalo. (SunStar Philippines)