The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assured on Friday they are in full control of the security situation in the South amid a series of bomb attacks and kidnapping incidents staged by the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu province.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino made the assurance even as Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits bombed another bridge in Patikul town Thursday night.

According to Wesmincom spokesman, Maj. Ramon David Hontiveros, the latest attack occurred at around 11p.m. Thursday when suspected ASG bandits bombed the Tangan-Tangan Bridge in Barangay Taung, Patikul. The blast caused partial damage to the bridge, which remained passable.

This was the fourth bridge bombed by the bandits in a span of two months. Similar attacks have occurred in two bridges in Indanan and another in Talipao.

Also this week, the Marines foiled an attempted bomb blast in another bridge in Talipao.

The Abu Sayyaf also bombed the Globe and Sun cell sites in the province.

On Wednesday, a Marine officer, 2Lt. Dulan Cordero, was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while leading his team during a patrol in Patikul.

Last month, two American servicemen and a Filipino soldier were killed in Indanan after their vehicle was ripped by a landmine explosion in Indanan. The incident prompted US authorities to pullout their personnel from their project sites back to the military camp.

Also this week, 36-year-old Gabriel Canizares, a resident of San Raymundo village in Jolo town and acting principal of Kanague Elementary School in Patikul, was seized by unidentified armed men while on board a public utility jeepney.

Despite these incidents, Dolorfino said, “practically, we’re in control…if we’re not in control then we are at the mercy of the enemy. We will not allow them to do that.”

The Wesmincom chief, however, admitted they don’t have enough soldiers to secure all bridges, especially those in remote areas of the province.

The Wesmincom chief assured that soldiers have been deployed, together with police and civilian emergency forces (CEF), to secure vital installations and bridges in the area. He, however, admitted they don’t have enough soldiers to secure all bridges, especially those in remote areas of the province

The general said Sulu has only 2,500 CEF men.

Dolorfino said a five-soldier team to be deployed to guard a bridge is a risky situation. “Hindi ka naman basta-basta maglagay lang ng lima e, at least one platoon ang ilalagay mo, otherwise ma-overwhelm ka ng kalaban.”

“What they are trying to project is that there was a widespread hostilities in the province which is not true. Calculated yung mga ginagawa nila e. We’re doing everything to stop these (bombings). Lalo na ngayon na nagre-registration pa yung mga CEF,” Dolorfino said.