ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — Barely a week after the May 9 local and national elections, the Abu Sayyaf Group engaged government troops in a gunbattle in Indanan town, Sulu, where three soldiers were wounded.
Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the Army’s Joint Task Force Sulu, said the encounter took place in Barangay Tumatangis, Indanan town, at around 11:10 a.m. on Sunday.
Patrimonio said that troops of the 100th Infantry Battalion received information of the presence of Abu Sayyaf bandits near the said village, prompting a deployment in the area.
On their way, the soldiers encountered the bandits and a firefight ensued, lasting for about 30 minutes, Patrimonio added, citing a report submitted by Col. Giovanni Franza, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade.
He said the troops clashed with the men of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron.
Of the three wounded soldiers, one was evacuated to the Camp Navarro station hospital in Zamboanga City while two were taken to a military hospital in Jolo.
“They are all in stable condition,” Patrimonio said.
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