GOVERNMENT troops have seized a hastily abandoned lair of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the province of Sulu, military officials said.
Major Vicente Mabborang, 45th Infantry Battalion commander, said the lair was seized by the troops led by First Lieutenant Jeunesse Juatchon around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 6, while conducting security operation in Sitio Pantay Minul in Tanum village, Patikul, Sulu.
Mabborang said the troops launched a security operation after a concerned resident, who harvested a coconut, reported that a group of Abu Sayyaf bandits were seen in Sitio Pantay Minul in Tanum village.
He said the troops recovered foodstuffs and personal belongings like clothes, rain boots and laminated sacks from the lair that can accommodate around 20 people.
Troops are tracking down the Abu Sayyaf bandits, who are believed to be changing from one place to the other in the hinterlands of Patikul town.
Major General William Gonzales, 11th Infantry Division commander, noted that the troops discovered three Abu Sayyaf bandits' lairs in Patikul last month with the support of the residents.
"We mark these lairs on our maps for planning purposes. Definitely, their movement will be more constricted," Gonzales said, as they aim to end the Abu Sayyaf the soonest possible time. (SunStar Zamboanga)