SAF trooper, suspect killed in anti-narcotics ops in Sulu

A Special Action Force trooper died in an anti-narcotics raid against a drug suspect in Patikul, Sulu, on Saturday morning.

PO2 Tirso Mantalaba of the 24th Special Action Company was killed when Anuddin Akiran Daharani resisted arrest during the conduct of the “Oplan Tokhang” at Sitio Bullo in Barangay (village) Kaunayan, according to a police report sent to INQUIRER.net.

Three teams from different SAF companies and members of the Philippine Army provided support to the members of Patikul Municipal Police Station when it raided Daharani’s residence around 11:45 a.m. Saturday.

Before Darahani was killed, he fired upon the responding troops using an M1 Garand rifle hitting Mantalaba on his left chest.

Mantalaba was rushed to Sulu Integrated Provincial Health Office for medical treatment but was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Raden Ikbala, the attending physician.

His body was brought to Camp Teodulfo Bautista en route to Zamboanga City.

Recovered pieces of evidence were one M1 Garand rifle (with serial number: 316791) and one .45-caliber Colt pistol (with serial number: 684003) with magazines and rounds of ammunition, six heat sealed plastic sachets containing crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu”, ten magazine clips of .30-caliber, 31 rounds of ammunition for .30-caliber, one magazine for .45-caliber pistol, 16 rounds ammunition for .45-caliber pistol, one plastic bag of aluminum foil, cash amounting to P4,488.00 and 300 pieces of heat-sealed empty plastic.

The recovered items have been brought to the Patikul municipal police for proper documentation and disposition. TVJ