Marine officer killed Marine officer killed

10/22/2009

The military yesterday suffered another blow from Muslim extremists, losing a junior officer when an improvised bomb believed to have been planted by the Abu Sayyaf bandits went off within the vicinity of a military detachment in Sulu province.

during the explosion which erupted around 9 a.m. while the Marine personnel were reportedly fixing the water line within the vicinity of the detachment.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo confirmed the explosion but refused to identify the victims, apparently pending notification of their respective families.

“Elements of the 35th Marine Company, Marine Battalion Landing Team-5, while conducting patrol along the vicinities of Barangay Upper Tugas in Patikul, Sulu, were hit by a landmine. Accordingly, the IED (improvised explosive device) was planted along the cut off water pipe and when the said personnel passed near the vicinity to check the water pipe, it suddenly exploded,” Arevalo said.

He added two Marine personnel were initially wounded but one of them subsequently died.

“An officer and an enlisted Marine were wounded. The officer, however, was pronounced dead on arrival at the trauma center in Busbus, Jolo, while the enlisted Marine survived and now in stable condition,” Arevalo said.

Arevalo blamed the attack on the Abu Sayyaf group, saying “the ASG continued with its terrorist and illegal activities with such treacherous attacks.”

Only on Monday, Abu Sayyaf bandits snatched Gabriel Canizares, acting principal of Sanda Elementary School, in Patikul town and then blasting a cellular site in the municipality of Parang.

And then on Tuesday, two boxes of IEDs were recovered by government forces under a bridge in Indanan town.

At least two bridges in Sulu province were also blasted with IED explosions during the past weeks by the Abu Sayyaf.

Late last month, the Abu Sayyaf was also blamed for the roadside bombing along the boundaries of barangays Luansing and Kagay in Indanan town that killed two United States servicemen and a Marine soldier.

The resurgence of Abu Sayyaf atrocities in Sulu province recently was branded by the military, particularly Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, as an attempt to cover up for the dwindling ammunition of the bandit group.

Dolorfino has said the Abu Sayyaf bandits are resorting to bombings and other treacherous attacks to make up for its dwindling ranks and firepower. Mario J. Mallari

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