ZAMBOANGA CITY – A foreign terrorist and two Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed in a clash with government forces late Friday in Sulu.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief said, the 4th Light Reaction Company troopers were conducting focused military operation when they clashed with the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Mudzrimar “Mundi” Sawadjaan around 10:45 p.m. Friday in Barangay Igasan, Patikul, Sulu.
Vinluan said that the Abu Sayyaf bandits scampered to different directions following a 10-minute firefight that resulted to the death of a foreign terrorist identified as a certain Yusop, an Egyptian.
Yusop is the stepson of Abduramil, an Egyptian, who was killed by government troops in November 2019 in Indanan, Sulu.
Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11th Infantry Division commander, said that Yusop’s mother Reda Mohammad Mahmud, alias Sitti Aiza, also an Egyptian, was killed by the troops while she was on a suicide bombing mission on September 8, 2019 in Barangay Tagbak, Indanan.
The two slain Abu Sayyaf bandits were identified as Abu Khattab Jundullah alias Saddam and a certain alias Akram.
Gonzales said that Jundullah is one of the trained bomb-makers, while Akram is also one of the trustees of Sawadjaan.
Gonzales said that Sawadjaan was behind the twin suicide bombings in Jolo in August 2020 as well as the Jolo Cathedral bombing in January 2019.
The remains of the slain Egyptian and the two Abu Sayyaf bandits were brought to Camp General Teodulfo Bautista in Barangay Busbus, Jolo, Sulu for proper disposition. – Nikolai Gonzalo
