1 Abu Sayyaf member killed, another caught in Sulu
MILITARY FORCES killed an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member and captured another following a gunfight in Sulu on Sunday. Joint Task Force Sulu Commander Major General Corleto S. Vinluan, Jr. said the troops launched a tactical offensive upon encountering a group of 30 ASGs in Sitio Kan Pataw, Barangay Upper Sinuman. Soldiers from the 2nd Special Forces Battalion retrieved the body of a still unidentified ASG, a group known for kidnap-for-ransom activities and has pledged alliance with the Islamic State. Authorities identified the captured terrorist as Nursaina Jarad Sahi, a militant’s wife. She sustained shrapnel wounds and was immediately treated at Camp Bautista Station Hospital. “I feel sorry for her that she was abandoned, wounded and helpless during the firefight,” Mr. Vinluan said. He attributed the operational gains to the cooperation and support of the Tausug community who reported the presence of militants in the locality. Recovered from the battle site were several firearms including an M16 rifle and a Galil rifle both equipped with an M204 grenade launcher. — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz
