Scores displaced by battle between soldiers and Abu Sayyaf in Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY – At least six civilians were wounded in the cross fire of a battle between government soldiers and Abu Sayyaf bandits in Al Barka, Basilan, on Thursday.

The military said three Abu Sayyaf men were killed and eight wounded, while the government suffered seven wounded, including an officer.

Al Barka Mayor Darussalam Lajid told the Inquirer in a telephone interview Friday that more than a hundred families were forced out of their homes in the villages of Ginanta, Magkawa, Linuan, Makalang and Danapah by almost 12 hours of gunfire.

A list of the victims released by the Lamitan District Hospital showed that one was a minor.

They were identified as Lucio Salses, 54; Pedro Bantilin, 64; Arham Sapii, 30; Shaima Abdasan, 28; Mujid Jasalun, 25; and Mohamad Jaharun, 14.

“I advised my residents not to return to their respective homes yet. The tension is still high and threats still loom,” Lajid said.

Tipo-tipo Mayor Tong Istarul said residents of villages near Al Barka were also “shaken and afraid.”

“My people were afraid that clashes could spill to our town,” he said.

Edylyn Santiago, head of the Basulta sub-office of the Regional Human Rights Commission in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said they would investigate how the civilians were wounded.

Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the Abu Sayyaf faction led by Furuji Indama and Nurhassan Jamiri suffered three dead and eight wounded.

Among the slain bandits was Abdullah Kalitot, who was a fugitive from the Basilan provincial jail.

“Subject was charged with nine counts of murder committed in Basilan in 2007 and had a monetary reward of P500,000,” Capt. Eugene Espino, Public Affairs Officer of the Joint Task Group Basilan said.

Lt. Col. Paulo Perez, commander of the 18th Infantry Battalion, said seven soldiers were wounded in the firefight. One of them was his executive officer, a major.

“We encountered around 60 bandits and they were all heavily armed with mortars, recoil-less rifles and caliber-50 machine gun,” Perez said.