ZAMBOANGA CITY – Government soldiers clashed Friday with Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga and killing one gunman, officials said.
Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, said members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 11 rushed to the island-village of Limaong after civilians secretly reported to the military the presence of armed men.
“Troops of the MBLT-11 responded to the reports received from residents of the area about the presence of unidentified number of armed individuals with unfamiliar faces.”
“Sensing the presence of government troops, the group fired their weapons triggering an exchange of fires that lasted ten minutes that killed one Abu Sayyaf identified as Abu Nibras,” Besana said.
But other reports said a woman and child were also killed in the crossfire. Besana said nothing about the civilian casualties.
Troops also recovered the body of the slain militant who was a follower of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Andullah Indanan whose group is based in Basilan province, about 28 nautical miles from Zamboanga. Soldiers were combing the island for other militants who escaped the fighting.
There was no immediate statement from the village leader on the killing of 2 civilians. It was unknown whether the militants were planning to launch terror attacks in Zamboanga. (Mindanao Examiner)
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