7 Abu Sayyaf Group members killed in Sulu, war materiel recovered too

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

CUT-OFF JUNGKONG: Philippine Navy troopers of the 3rd Boat Attack Division BA491 try to retrieve the firearms and war materiel from the sunk Abu Sayyaf Group vessel known as Jungkong that was rammed by the steel hulled navy boat that divided the ASG vessel into two. A total of 7 ASG terrorists died during the brief gunfight off Sulare Island in Lugus, Sulu. (Photo by BA491 Navy troopers)

ZAMBOANGA CITY

The Philippine Navy troops aboard the 3rd Boat Attack Division BA491 spotted the Jungkong boat being used by the Abu Sayyaf Group/Kidnap For Ransom Group (ASG/KFR) off Sulare Island in Lugus, Sulu, where they rammed the jungkong and shot the ASG members killing 7 of them on Tuesday morning, November 3.

In an official report submitted by the acting commander of the Navy boat BA491 to Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), he said upon spotting the group of ASG members, the BA491 chased the Jungkong where they rammed the terrorist vessel cutting the hull into two and at the same time fired upon at the terrorists killing the 7 members on-board.

“The boat was cut in half with the only front portion remaining afloat while the rear must have sunk during the ramming by the Navy ship-BA493,” said Lt. Gen. Vinluan, Jr.

Lt. Gen. Vinluan said that the navy troops searched the remaining half of the boat and recovered the following: M4 rifles, M203, one M4A1 rifle, five backpacks with assorted items inside, two M14 long magazines, two M14 short magazines, four bandoliers, two jungle bolo, two sledgehammers, two boat paddle, two empty containers (plastic gallons), one power bank, two empty shells of m203 ammunition, and one Go Pro camera with a memory card.

Meanwhile, JTF Sulu Commander Maj. Gen. William Gonzales stated that the operation at dawn resulted in the deaths of the seven ASG members onboard the Jungkong including Madsmar Sawadjaan, the brother of notorious bomber Mundi Sawadjaan and Mannul Sawadjaan, a.k.a. Abu Amara, believed to be the successor of Hajan Sawadjaan as the emir of the group.

“Our air, naval, and ground troops are continuously conducting retrieval operation in the area,” Maj. Gen. Gonzales said.

Likewise, Lt. Gen. Vinluan, Jr. said, “We will continue to conduct military operations, maximize intelligence monitoring, and exhaust all means to preempt the terroristic activities of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu”. JIJ