ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Wounded soldiers are raring to go back to the battle ground following the offensive in the mountain lair of the Abu Sayyaf group that left eight killed, including seven militants, on the eve of the Eid’l Fitr in Basilan province.
Speaking casually to reporters at the military hospital in this city, one of the 11 wounded soldiers said they were subjected to snipers’ fire and volume of M203 grenade rifles by the Abu Sayyaf group.
“I was hit on my upper left thigh by their sniper positioned on the high ground when we assaulted their lair,†said Cpl. Aurelio of the 13th Scout Ranger Company (src).
He said other than the enemy snipers, the Abu Sayyaf militants fired rounds of the rifle grenades and improvised explosive device (IED).
“After this recuperation we are prepared to report back on the ground to continue the mission,†the wounded soldier said.
Capt. Hamid Cedicol, the doctor-on-duty of Camp Navarro General Hospital (CNGH), said most of the wounded soldiers sustained slight injuries and were on stable condition except for two others who were brought to Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) due to bullet wounds.
“The injuries were caused by indirect fires and bullet fires,†Cedicol said.
Col. Carlito Galvez, commander of 104th Brigade said their casualties were caused by snipersf positioned on high ground to secure the 70 militants from the combined forces of Abu Sayyaf leaders Isnilon Hapilon alias Musab, Nurhassan Jamiri, Puruji Indama, and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)-trained Khair Mundos.
The military official said the Abu Sayyaf group built its camp in a heavily defended and rugged terrain in the middle of the areas of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) at sitio Bohe Libi, Barangay Macalang, Al-Barka town.
Galvez said they have to withdraw their forces immediately after the successful offensive to avoid hitting the MILF and MNLF camps and noted the usual tactics of the Abu Sayyaf to drag other forces into the hostility against the government forces.
The military said troops on the ground have remained on alert anticipating the retaliatory attacks of the Abu Sayyaf group.