ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur –– Two suspected foreign terrorists and one local were killed in a shootout on Tuesday afternoon at Sitio Itawon, Barangay Kan Islam in Indanan town, Sulu.
Lt. Col. Gerald Monfort, spokesperson of the Joint Task Force Sulu, tagged the three suspected terrorists as suicide bombers “about to carry out a suicide bombing mission in Jolo” when they were neutralized by soldiers.
The two foreigners are Egyptians, according to Monfort, although, he refused to reveal their identities, including that of the local.
Monfort said the two foreign terrorists were the husband and son of a female foreigner, who died while trying to carry out a suicide attack on a military post in Km. 3, Barangay Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu on September 8.
On Tuesday afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., the three suicide bombers fired at the apprehending military personnel of the 41st Infantry battalion and 1102nd Infantry Brigade, when they were flagged down at the national road in Indanan.
The government forces fired back, killing the terrorists.
Recovered from the terrorists were a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition, a hand grenade, two vests with explosives, and triggering devices identical to the vest used by the suicide bombers during the two attacks in Barangay Tanjung, Indanan on June 28 and on September 8.
Colonel Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, said the hostile plan of the terrorists in Sulu could have caused tremendous casualties and tarnished the image of the country.
Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the JTF Sulu, lauded the military personnel, who carried out the military operations, for their sacrifice, superb planning, and careful execution of their tasks to apprehend the suicide bombers.
“The AFP in Sulu will continue to hunt down all the remaining ASG members in Sulu. Hence, I urge them to surrender and live normal lives instead of being hunted down as fleeing criminals,” Vinluan said./lzb