Army officer killed, 9 soldiers wounded in clash vs Abu Sayyaf in Sulu

An Army officer was killed while 9 others were wounded after a gunfight erupted between government forces and Abu Sayyaf Group bandits in Patikul, Sulu Monday afternoon.

Major General Corleto Vinluan, the commander of Joint Task Force Sulu said troops beloning to the Army's 32nd Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Ralph De Mesa encountered more than 40 armed bandits in the remote village of Pansul in Patikul.

Vinluan said the firefight lasted for a few minutes before the bandits withdrew, leaving some of their personal belongings.

There were also visible bloodstains in the area where the bandits holed up for several days.

However, the fierce encounter left at least one Army officer dead, while 9 other soldiers wounded.

On June 5, at least 4 soldiers of 6th Special Force Battalion were killed, while 17 were wounded after a 40-minute armed encounter against 40 bandits in barangay Kan-ague, Patikul.

Two bandits were also killed during the gunfight and their bodies were recovered by government forces.

Source From:https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/20/army-officer-killed-9-soldiers-wounded-in-clash-vs-abu-sayyaf-in-sulu