Two NavSogs die in Basilan clash
MANILA
Two elite Navy personnel died and another was wounded following an amphibious raid against combined Abu Sayyaf terrorists and rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels at the shorelines of Mohammad Ajul town in Basilan province on Tuesday night.
Reports identified the casualties as Lt. (junior grade)) Christopher Pantaleon, Petty Officer 3 Almario Manalili. Wounded was Seaman First Class Reynand Sumalinog. All are assigned with the Naval Special Operations Group (NavSog).
The clash occurred around 7 p.m. Tuesday at the shorelines of Kandiis village in Mohammad Adjul against an undetermined number of combined Abu Sayyaf and MILF rebels, according to Rear Admiral Alex Pama, commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao and Task Force Trillium.
In a phone interview, Pama said that the elite troops were pursuing a group of kidnappers and those involved in a recent jailbreak at the provincial jail when they caught up with the group,
“This is part of our pressure against the kidnappers and the jailbreakers,” said Pama. A number of hostages are still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, including two Chinese nationals recently seized from a plywood factory,"he said
He added they received information that the hostile group were planning to link up with the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama. “We blocked them, they were not able to regroup, resulting in the fire fight,” he said.
Pama said the troops had already landed at the shoreline during the amphibious raid when the firefight broke out. He said the troops were not certain on the number of casualties incurred to the enemies who fled afterwards.
“We were unlucky, we lost two NAVSOGs, one of them an officer. It doesn’t matter, its part of the job,” said Pama, adding that government forces will not falter in pursuing the Abu Sayyaf and the rogue MILF rebels.(PNA)
Tags:
abu-sayyaf, clash, die, forces, navy, philippine, special, terror
Posted at: 01:23 | Add Comment
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