17 Abu rebs die in clashes

ZAMBOANGA CITY – At least 17 Abu Sayyaf fighters and a Marine were killed when government troops tried to stop the bandits from fleeing a military offensive in a remote barangay in Sulu.

Eleven Marines were also wounded in the fighting.

Brig. Gen. Renato Miranda, commander of Marine Forces South (Marforsouth), said the bandits were fleeing advancing Army troops in the jungles of Sulu at around 10:35 a.m. Wednesday when the Marines blocked them at Barangay Panglima Estino.

"The (Abu Sayyaf) was trying to escape to Patikul to evade the offensive of the Army," he said. "So, we immediately conducted a blockade. Fighting erupted and we suffered one killed and 11 wounded but the bandits suffered 17 killed."

Marines are in hot pursuit of the bandits at the border of Patikul and Panglima Estino, he added.

Miranda said a Marine battalion from General Santos City arrived in Sulu yesterday to reinforce troops taking part in Operation Endgame, which is aimed at wiping out the Abu Sayyaf.

"The idea of bringing more troops is to penetrate (the Abu Sayyaf) beehive then finish them off," he said.

Miranda said the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu is like eradicating mosquitoes down to their filthy and damp breeding places.

"These junk places is like just the impoverished villages in Sulu where people are forced to join the lawless (elements) because of poverty," he said.

"So after the military operation we have to address the economic component to stop the terrorists from breeding in a clean place."

The number of Abu Sayyaf killed has risen to 30 during the past three weeks of military operation to smoke them out of their jungle hideout, Miranda added. –Roel Pareño