FIFTEEN members of the Abu Sayyaf Group including their leaders and two foreign terrorists were killed in a bombing operation conducted by government forces before dawn in Parang, Sulu.

This was confirmed yesterday by Maj. Gen. Noel Coballes, commander of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

Among those killed were Abu Sayyaf leader  Umbra Jumdail, alias Doctor Abu,  a certain Marwan, a Malaysian national and Singaporean national Mauwiyah, both leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Record showed that Marwan is a U.S.-trained Malaysian engineer who was involved in terror attack in America while Mauwiya was involved in a series of kidnappings and bombings in the province.

Coballes said the bombing operation occurred at around 3 a.m. in the mountainous area of Sitio Lanao Bato, Bgy. Lanao Dakula, Parang, Sulu.

He said government forces conducted operation in the area following reports that group of bandits and JI were sighted in the area.

When authorities confirmed the information, AFP immediately conducted the aerial attack using OV-10 aircraft.

Coballes said the AFP planned the attack against the group of bandits and terrorists.
Zaida delos Reyes-Palanca