Student dead, 1 hurt in military detachment attack

A SOLDIER was wounded and a college student was killed when the latter staged a "juramentado-like" attack on a military detachment in Sulu, a top military official said Tuesday, October 1.

Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said the attack happened around 12:45 p.m. Monday, September 30, at the detachment in Kilometer 3 in the village of Kajatian, Indanan, Sulu.

Vinluan identified the attacker, based on school records they recovered, as Fersauidi Arabani, a sophomore student of the Mindanao State University-Sulu who was taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

He said the injured soldier belongs to the Army's 35th Infantry Battalion of the 11th Infantry Division.

Vinluan said the soldiers on duty exerted all effort to control the attacker, but the student continued to attack them while shouting "Allahu Akbar."

He said one soldier on duty suffered a minor wound on his right cheek after he successfully evaded Arabani.

He said the companion of the wounded soldier shot Arabani, who died instantaneously, after the failed attack.

He said the police recovered from Arabani a sachet of substance believed to be shabu and a bolo.

Vinluan was saddened by the incident but said it will not prevent them from conducting checkpoints and other lawful efforts to protect the peace-loving Tausug community. (SunStar Philippines)