ZAMBOANGA CITY — At least seven individuals believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed while two civilians and a member of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force were wounded during a law enforcement operation in Talipao town in Sulu province.
Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen. Roy Galido disclosed on Monday that the members of the PNP-SAF conducted a law enforcement operation in Barangay Bud Bayug in Talipao, Sulu at dawn on Sunday.
Galido identified the slain ASG members as Juko Dahim, Aldimar Kanih, Gamil Halik, Norhan Pasi, Malik Iron, Jimming Akjal and his son, only known as alias Iron.
Two of Juko’s gunmen were also arrested during the encounter, Galido said.
Reports said that as the PNP-SAF operatives were approaching the target area, Juko and his cohorts fired upon the operating policemen forcing them to retaliate.
Galido said that the encounter lasted for a few minutes that killed seven of the ASG gunmen and wounded three others-two of them civilians caught in the crossfire and a member of the PNP-SAF.
Meantime, the two unidentified civilians were immediately evacuated to the Integrated Provincial Health Office in Jolo for medical treatment.
While scouring the area of the operation, soldiers and PNP-SAF operating troops recovered one M16 BA Colt, one M16 Elisco, one Colt M16, and one Cal. Multi MDST 15, one M203 Grenade Launcher, one Colt AR 15, three M14 7.62; and assorted ammunition and firearm accessories, the AFP-WestMinCom commander said.
Meantime, Area Police Command-Western Mindanao operations chief Col. Richard Verceles also disclosed that Juko was involved in the ambush-slay of Col. Julasirim Kasim, the police director of Sulu, in 2009 in Barangay Bato Ugis, Maimbung, Sulu.
He said the slain ASG members were followers of Majan Sahidjuan operating in the towns of Indanan, Parang and Maimbung.
Sahidjuan was killed in a clash with government troops in March 2021 in Kalupag Island, Languyan, Tawi-Tawi.