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SULU: Soldiers killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant in a clash in
Pandami Island, officials said Sunday.
Fighting erupted in a village called Parian
Dakula where troops tracked down Sam Andal late on Saturday. “The
body of the Abu Sayyaf man was brought to Zamboanga City and
buried,” Army Major Eugene Batara, a spokesman for the Western
Mindanao Command, told The Manila Times.
He said Andal was a logistic man of the Abu
Sayyaf group that had been allegedly holding a kidnapped trader,
Rosalie Lao, in Sulu since January. It was unknown whether Andal was
likewise involved in the kidnapping of the 45-year old Lao, a local
Muslim with Chinese ancestry.
Batara said troops recovered an M16 automatic
rifle and an M79 grenade launcher, including a rifle grenade and
various munitions from the slain militant.
“Troops are pressing operations against the
terrorist Abu Sayyaf group in order to neutralize their leaders,”
he said.
Last week, suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen have
freed a kidnapped Muslim teacher, Lullong Marrack, hours after he
was seized in Sulu’s Maimbung town.
Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, Sulu police
chief, said the 60-year old Marrack was released unharmed. He said
Marrack, who was in a passenger jeep, was seized near the village of
Kulasi.
It was unknown whether Marrack’s family paid
ransom or not but sources said the victim’s family negotiated for
his freedom.
Last month, Abu Sayyaf militants freed a
kidnapped Muslim university principal, Omar Taup, after more than
two months.
Taup was kidnapped January 16 after militants
raided the Notre Dame University and killed Father, Reynaldo Roda.
Police did not say if ransom was paid for the
safe release of Taup, but the Abu Sayyaf had earlier demanded P1
million for his freedom.
-- Al Jacinto
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