Sulu village official is suspect in roadside ambush by Abu Sayyaf

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MANILA, Philippines—A barangay (village) official in Sulu has been tagged as a suspect in the Sulu ambush that killed 23 people on Monday, July 28.

A statement from the Sulu provincial government on Tuesday said the barangay official worked with the Abu Sayyaf Group, which the military claimed as the perpetrators behind the incident.

“We strongly condemn the barbaric act of the perpetrators of this heinous crime. The suspects of which some are followers/supporters of a certain Barangay official in cooperation with suspected Abu Sayyaf members, ambushed and massacred and killed at least 23 passengers, mostly women and children, and wounding 11 others of a Tamaraw vehicle at Brgy Lower Talipao, Municipality of Talipao, Sulu,” said Governor Abdusakur “Totoh” A. Tan II and his father Vice Governor Abusakur M. Tan in a joint statement.

The fatalities increased to 23 on Tuesday as two more of the injured died. The fatalities include an elderly woman as old as 85, and a child as young as 2.

“This is un-Islamic and very satanic, after going through and in the day of culmination of the holy month of Ramadan, even animals could hardly inflict damage of such magnitude,” the Tans said.

The military earlier identified two ASG leaders involved in the ambush: Indang Susukan and Sibih Pisih.

About 50 militants attacked a convoy of 40 civilians and 10 barangay police aboard public jeepneys in roadside ambush on Monday.

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