Woman critically stabs two Marine soldiers in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A Tausug woman was arrested after she stabbed two Marine soldiers in Talipao, Sulu, on Tuesday morning.

Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, identified the suspect as Salma Hassan, a 49-year old resident of Barangay (village) Tandu Bato in Luuk town.

Arrojado said Corporals Michael Latorre and Bimbo Evangelista were waiting for a fish vendor at the main gate of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 in Barangay Samak in Talipao when Hassan arrived and suddenly stabbed them.

The two soldiers sustained critical knife wounds on their chests and were airlifted to this city for medical treatment.

Arrojado said based on investigation, the woman was suicidal after her husband left her for another woman.

“She was desperate, her motive was suicide. She wanted to die because her husband married another woman,” he said.

Hassan had since been turned over to the custody of the Talipao police, according to Arrojado.

On Sunday afternoon, a social worker was also shot dead in Jolo town.

Chief Insp. Junpikar Sittin, the Jolo police chief, said 31-year old Minhar Sali, who was assigned at the Jolo social welfare office, was with her five-year old daughter when attacked. She died from seven bullet wounds, he said.

“We don’t have clear motive as of yet, but we were told the victim was supposedly to collect payment from a debtor,” Sittin said.