Marines foil Abu attack

The Philippine Star, Thursday, 25 February 2010

By: Roel Pareño with Alexis Romero

ZAMBOANGA CITY- Followers of slain Abu Sayyaf
leader Albader Parad attacked on Tuesday night a
Marine detachment at the boundary of Indanan
and Maimbung towns in Sulu, the military said.

However, the Marines thwarted the attack,
which was apparently in retaliation for the
death of Parad and five of his followers during a
special operation last Sunday.

Among those killed was Abdulhaman Jumdail,
brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail
alias Dr. Abu Pula. A Marine, S/Sgt. Eliseo Salo,
was killed and three others were wounded
in the surgical military strike.

"No casualty was reported from our side as our
forces have been alerted and have anticipated
the possible retaliatory attack," said Brig. Gen.
Rustico Guerrero, chief of the anti-terror Task Force
Comet.

However, following Tuesday night's incident
the Marines have further beefed up their security
measures to foil more direct attacks by Abu Sayyaf
bandits.

Guerrero said they are now focusing on the group
of Jumdail as they now consider Parad's group as a
spent force.

He disclosed that in last Sunday's offensive Jumdail's
group was just near the hideout of Parad's forces on Mt.
Tukay in Indanan town.

Jumdail's men, he said, tried to reinforce Parad's
group but were prevented as government troops had
positioned themselves along all possible routes.

The Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command clarified
that Parad was carrying a bounty of $1 million, not
$80,000.

Meanwhile, Salo was given a hero's welcome at
the Marine headquarters in Taguig City yesterday.

Salo's body was flown from Zamboanga City to
Manila to allow the Marine Corps to pay their last
respects to their fallen comrade.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said more
than a hundred sailors and Marine personnel led by
Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez and Marine Corps
commandant Maj. Gen.Juancho Sabban attended
the ceremony.

"Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez condoles with the
family of Staff Sergeant Salo. He vows the Navy 'will
sustain its Fleet-Marine operations to rid the
island-province of bandit and terror groups,"
Arevalo said.

Arevalo said Salo will be posthumously promoted
to technical sergeant and will receive a wounded
personnel medal, which is given to soldiers who
sustained injuries during actual combat.

Salo's family will also receive P250,000 in
financial assistance from President Arroyo and PI5,OOO
in burial assistance.

"His (Salo) family will benefit from his pension.
His contributions to all savings and loan associations
will also be refunded," Arevalo said in a telephone
interview.

Arevalo said Salo's body will be
flown to Cagayan Valley, where he will
be buried.