7 Abu Sayyaf bandits dead in Sulu fighting
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur –– Seven suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed in a pre-dawn battle near Sulare Island in Parang town, Sulu on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said one of the seven Abu gunmen killed is Madsmar Sawadjaan, younger brother of Abu Sayyaf bomb-maker Mundi Sawadjaan, who masterminded the suicide attack in downtown Jolo last August.
The bandits were aboard a speed boat when intercepted by government troops. Their boat sank as a result of the gunfight.
Search and retrieval operations are ongoing for the bodies of the Abu Sayyaf gunmen.