ZAMBOANGA CITY—One of the most wanted Abu Sayyaf leaders and his son were wounded in the “surgical strike” launched by the military on Wednesday in the hinterlands of Sulu.

A bandit was reported killed during the attack, a military official said on Thursday.

Maj. Eugenio Batara Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) information officer, said that Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon was wounded during the attack.

Batara said Hapilon’s son, Tabari, was seriously wounded but there is no information yet on Tabari’s latest condition. He said reports reaching the Wesmincom headquarters in this city indicate that the elder Hapilon was wounded in the hands, while his son was hit in the head and stomach.

There were no reports on the whereabouts of the Hapilons as the bandits scampered to different directions at the height of the military assault.

Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, Wesmincon chief, earlier said that about 10 Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) militants were reported in the Abu Sayyaf camp that the military overran on Wednesday.

Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) launched the surgical strike at the Abu Sayyaf’s bomb factory following confirmed information that bandits and JI militants were in the area.

The bomb factory, located in sitio Kandilamon, barangay Kagay, Indanan town, fell into the hands of the military shortly before noon on Wednesday.

Some 300 military commandos swooped down the camp following barrage of artillery fire that softened the bandit’s position.

The JTFC chief, Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, placed the number of JI and Abu Sayyaf bandits at 200, when the troops attacked.

A soldier was wounded during the attack, the first major offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu since the death of their top leaders including the group’s emir, Khadafy Janjalani.

The elder Hapilon is one of the remaining Abu Sayyaf leaders sought by the US government for the kidnapping and killing of Americans in 2001 from a resort in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Rallies peaceful, but obstruct traffic

THE simultaneous and successive rallies staged by workers in key cities around the country were orderly and peaceful except for traffic snarls that have been created, especially in some parts of Metro Manila.

TO the rice, oil and other shortages lately, add the shortage of seats in all airlines flying to the Middle East that results in days of delays for at least a thousand Filipinos going to work for the first time or returning to their jobs in that region.

THERE will be changes in the nursing curriculum next school year.

This was announced by Chairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Wednesday to ensure that instruction is on a par with international standards and ensure a better passing rate for Filipino nursing graduates in licensure examinations here and abroad.

THE leadership of the House of Representatives is ready to sit down with senators to discuss their proposal for a constitutional change to make way for a federal system of government, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Thursday.

SORSOGON CITY—A ranking communist rebel commander operating in Sorsogon province who was arrested by government forces three weeks ago was relased on Thursday after posting a P700,000 bail.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—One of the most wanted Abu Sayyaf leaders and his son were wounded in the “surgical strike” launched by the military on Wednesday in the hinterlands of Sulu.

MALAYSIA assured the Philippines on Thursday it will continue brokering the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) despite its coming pullout as member of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).