5 Marines killed, 2 APC's immobilized

[Sabra]

5 Marines killed in clash with Vagni captors

By Roel Pareño and Jaime Laude Updated June 14, 2009 12:00 AM

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=477414&publicationSubCategoryId=63

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – At least five Marines were killed while 12 others, including a member of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) and a civilian volunteer, were wounded after an encounter with Abu Sayyaf bandits holding an Italian Red Cross worker in Sulu, officials said yesterday.

The firefight erupted at about 9:20 a.m. in Barangay Sionugan, Indanan town when the combined forces of the Marines, SAF and the civilian emergency forces (CEF) encountered about 100 Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Albader Parad and Umbra Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula.

The government security forces came under heavy fire and grenades but managed to retaliate, according to Lt. Col. Stefani Cacho, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

Police Director Felizardo Serapio, chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation (DIPO) Western Mindanao, said there were reports that the Abu Sayyaf group suffered 11 casualties.

“The situation is very fluid. There was heavy fighting on the ground,” Serapio said.

The fierce clashes have brought to seven the number of government troops killed and 15 wounded since last Thursday’s encounter when the security forces caught up with the Abu Sayyaf group in Mt. Timahu.

Parad and Jumdail’s group are believed to be holding Italian Eugenio Vagni, the remaining volunteer of the three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) abducted last Jan. 15 in Patikul town.

Vagni’s two other companions, Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba and Swiss Andreas Notter, were freed last April 2 and 18 in Indanan town and the provincial government of Sulu had given the military the go-signal for the rescue of Vagni.

Two Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) of the Marines were also immobilized in the attack staged on a police and Marine convoy.

“They were treacherously fired upon. Despite sustaining heavy casualties from the initial hail of bullets from high-powered firearms and grenades, our security forces returned fire forthwith and engaged the enemies,” added Task Force ICRC spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.

Prior to yesterday’s encounter, the Marines and SAF were out to conduct saturation drive within the Timahu complex.

On Thursday, two Marines and six Abu Sayyaf were killed as government security forces, out to rescue Vagni, attacked the terrorists’ lair in Timahu complex.

Among the Abu Sayyaf killed were two sons of Abu Jumdael and his grandson, who is the son of Parad from his (Jumdael’s) daughter Marina.

Meanwhile, the dead and wounded government troops were brought to the military’s trauma hospital inside the 3rd Marine Brigade headquarters in Busbus, Sulu prior to their transfer to Zamboanga City.

Another source in Sulu said yesterday that Vagni is still alive.

“He is just within the vicinity. Except for yesterday, he’s regularly contacting his family back in Italy,” the source said, adding that they have the ways and means to monitor Vagni’s text messages and telephone calls to his wife.

In a related development, Army troops killed 10 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in heavy fighting that separately broke out in Maguindanao on Friday, the military reported yesterday.

Fighting first occurred between elements of the Army’s 601st Brigade and about 100 MILF rebels at Barangay Kateman, Talayan town at about 11 a.m.

As the troops were about to subdue the rebels under the command of Ameril Umbra Kato after two hours of heavy fighting, heavy skirmishes between another group of MILF rebels and Army troops broke out in Barangay Ahan in Guindulungan town.

Twenty MILF rebels were also wounded in the encounter, the military said.

[frank]

From the"Al J's" web:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/06/200961385650287489.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/06/200961385650287489.html

[davemap]

Immobilized means all tire wheels were flat???

[Kalashnikov]

All Marines & Army APCs have run flat equipment right?

[acidburn]

masmaganda kung meron tyong air support para maiwas ang pagkalagas ng ating marines at ng APC. and more radio equiptment RIP to the fallen marines

[Red Justice]

Any combat pictures?

[darthnbs]

masmaganda kung meron tyong air support para maiwas ang pagkalagas ng ating marines at ng APC. and more radio equiptment RIP to the fallen marines

Reminiscent of the Basilan encounter where marines gutted and CAS was null.

I wonder though were the marines wearing any body armor?

[Sabra]

Could this V-150 be different from the 2 other APC's immobilized?

Sayyaf guns same as Army’s, says soldier

By Julie Alipala
Inquirer Mindanao
First Posted 00:59:00 06/17/2009

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20090617-210865/Sayyaf-guns-same-as-Armys-says-soldier

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Abu Sayyaf bandits who killed six soldiers in an ambush in Sulu were equipped with the same weapons that the soldiers had, according to some of the soldiers who were caught in but survived the ambush.

“They were fully armed. Actually, they also have the same type of weapons that we have,” said the wounded Second Lieutenant Felix Serapio, executive officer of the 64th Reconnaissance Company.

Serapio’s group was the second to enter a community in Barangay (village) Siyunugan in Indanan, Sulu to clear the area of Sayyaf gunmen.

“They used tracer bullets as we did. They even managed to render our V-150 [armored vehicle] immobile,” he said.

“They were in black panther uniforms, similar to the ones worn by Rangers,” he added.

Deserted houses

Serapio’s group entered Siyunugan after a lead group headed by Second Lieutenant Ryan Frivaldo.

“Our mission in Siyunugan was to clear the area. The police’s Special Action Forces were to clear the houses because we could not just enter the houses. We have no authority to do that,” Serapio said.

The soldiers were entering Siyunugan, backed by a V-150 armored vehicle, when one of them, Staff Sgt. Hector Pizon, noticed that the houses were deserted.

An hour later, Serapio said Frivaldo radioed him and asked: “Buddy, is our objective still far from here?”

Serapio said it was at this point that he suspected something was wrong and advised Frivaldo to take it easy.

“Let’s go in slowly,” he recalled as telling Frivaldo.

Shortly after that, gunshots rang out. Serapio recalls hearing heavy gunfire through Frivaldo’s radio before it fell silent.

He said Frivaldo’s driver radioed for help. “He said they could lose their heads if reinforcement would not arrive on time,” Serapio said.

Sitting ducks

Serapio said his group could not quickly move in because it, too, was under fire.

“That was when I was hit,” he said.

Serapio said he and his fellow soldiers were like sitting ducks in their positions.

“We were in an open space. We tried to seek cover but we only had cassava plants to seek refuge from,” he said.

Serapio said he radioed for artillery support, which came and forced the bandits to withdraw.

When the smoke cleared, six government soldiers were dead and 20 were wounded, including police and militiamen.

Staff Sergeant Benjie Naces, Frivaldo’s driver, said most of his companions, including Frivaldo, were hit in the first volley of fire.

“I was the only one firing back at the enemy because my companions were down,” he said.

In his hospital bed here, Frivaldo was emotional when asked about the ordeal.

“I don’t want to talk now. It’s painful. I lost my men,” he said.

[hawsawin]

ang milf sinabi na galing sa afp ang baril nila ngunit hindi direktahan may third party na involve at marami daw kumikita ayon sa interview sa website na ito[URL]http://asiacalling.kbr68h.com/index.php/archives/1088 di mawawala sa isip ng tao na siguro may katotohanan pati kaya bala biro mo yung mga milf nakatatagal makipagbakbakan sa militar may mortar din sila yung abu sayyaf yung video nung 2000 makikita mo may recoiless rifle sila kasama mga ammo nito kung sasabihin naman na baka naagaw ng mga rebelde sa bakbakan ang mga baril napakarami naman naalala ko tuloy yung picture sa manila bulletin nung sumokong milf kasama 2 malaking .50 caliber na machinegun kasama mga bala at iba pang mga baril talagang sa unang putok pa  lang patay ang sundalo kung kaya ng rebelde na makipag ratratan ibig sabihin hindi sila nanghihinayang sa bala dahil mabilis silang makakuha nito opinyon lang 

[Adroth]

biro mo yung mga milf nakatatagal makipagbakbakan sa militar may mortar din sila yung abu sayyaf yung video nung 2000 makikita mo may recoiless rifle sila kasama mga ammo nito kung sasabihin naman na baka naagaw ng mga rebelde sa bakbakan ang mga baril napakarami naman naalala ko tuloy yung picture sa manila bulletin nung sumokong milf kasama 2 malaking .50 caliber na machinegun kasama mga bala at iba pang mga baril talagang sa unang putok pa  lang patay ang sundalo kung kaya ng rebelde na makipag ratratan ibig sabihin hindi sila nanghihinayang sa bala dahil mabilis silang makakuha nito opinyon lang 

When you earn millions from ransom payments, be actual payments, or from "to ease the suffering of the hostages" money . . . weaponry is high on the list of things to do with that money.

[hawsawin]

When you earn millions from ransom payments, be actual payments, or from "to ease the suffering of the hostages" money . . . weaponry is high on the list of things to do with that money.

ang tanong lang kanino saan sila bumibili at sino kumikita dito nakakalungkot kung totoo sinabi ng milf 

[davemap]

Somethings I think those Oakwood Mutineers have a point on their complains (just like this rebels buying arms from some "bad eggs", and the Trillanes report with regards to some navymen selling crude)

The problem is after this happen no AFP chief of Staff since 2003 have this strong program to track down and bring to justice this bad eggs....If the Navy has the Team Navy Concept..why cant they also create a program against this "bad eggs"....and also means the whole AFP organization....In fact this reports are considered "treason".

I really pray the next AFP chief of staff should do so cause more soldiers will really be pissed off and join the Oakwood mutineers if this is not adress strongly.....cause these past one has no flatforms

[Adroth]

ang tanong lang kanino saan sila bumibili at sino kumikita dito nakakalungkot kung totoo sinabi ng milf 

If monied civilians can buy all sorts of equipment from the black market . . . how much more for people who live at the footsteps our infamously porous backdoor?

[Adroth]

If the Navy has the Team Navy Concept..why cant they also create a program against this "bad eggs"

They do: http://www.timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=9248.msg83271#msg83271

[davemap]

So its up to the Chief of Staff strong convection and initiative to have the program run at full swing......Hope we can hear more in the news and one day read that those "bad eggs" selling this arms to the enemy will be held accountable and persecuted.