Tuesday, September 27, 2011

6 dead in Abu Sayyaf raid in Basilan province


ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 26, 2011) - Six people were killed and five others wounded in an Abu Sayyaf raid on Tuesday on a village in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Radzmer Jannatul attacked the village of Upper Benengbengan in Sumisip town at around 5 a.m. The raid sparked a fire fight between militants and soldiers in the area that left six people dead, including four civilians.

Among the dead were an army soldier and a militiaman. Five civilians were also wounded in the attack.

“They harassed the community and forces reacted to protect the civilians, but unfortunately one soldier and a government militia, and four civilians were killed,” said Army Colonel Alex Macario, commander of military forces in Basilan, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

The motive of the attack was unknown, but a military post in the village was likely to be the target of the raid.

On Sunday, troops killed an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, Imram Asgari, in a clash in the village of Busay in Zamboanga City. It was unknown if the Abu Sayyaf raid was connected to the killing of Asgari.

The latest fighting occurred just a week after soldiers also clashed with Asgari’s group killing one of his followers in Busay village. (Mindanao Examiner)

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