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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 3 July) – Government forces captured on Monday an alleged Abu Sayyaf camp following intense fighting in the hinterlands of Patikul, Sulu, belated reports said.
Brig. Gen. Martin Pinto, 2nd Marine Brigade commander, said the camp belonged to the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, the one-armed leader who is the oldest among the remaining commanders based in Sulu.
“The seized camp is fortified with connecting trenches, well-established firing positions and hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IED) emplaced in all approaches,” Pinto said.
“Our troops had to breach the enemy’s defenses and squeeze themselves to the complex terrain to be able to get close to the objective.
Despite the ASG’s terrain advantage, the Marines held their ground and returned fire as they inched their way to the camp, clearing several enemy satellite camps,” he added.
Pinto claimed the Abu Sayyaf bandits scampered to different directions, “taking along with them undetermined number of casualties (dead and wounded comrades).”
He disclosed two Marine soldiers were wounded during the firefight.
