A Marine was wounded when fighting broke out anew Saturday afternoon in Sumisip, Basilan between government forces and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, a regional military commander said.

Major General Ben Dolorfino, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said the clash erupted at around 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the vicinity of Barangay Pamatsakem in Sumisip town.

Elements of the 21st Marine Company were conducting combat patrol in the area when they chanced upon an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf, said Dolorfino.

“This is part of our continuing operation against the Abu Sayyaf,” said Dolorfino in a phone interview.

Dolorfino said the clash resulted in the wounding of a Marine, adding that field reports said the Abu Sayyaf suffered an undetermined number of casualties.

The clash occurred four days after the bloody gun battle in Barangay Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan where 23 soldiers died while 21 others were wounded. At least 31 ASG and Moro rebels also died in the firefight.

Meanwhile, the picture of the body of a ranking Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be used as evidence of Moro rebel intervention on the operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan on Wednesday, a military official said Saturday.

Dolorfino said a formal protest has been with the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Saturday against the group of MILF commander Ashib Salim which ambushed Marine commandos during the operation against the ASG in Sitio Kurellem in Barangay Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town.

What they want the CCCH to look into is the action of Salim, the commander of the 3rd Brigade of the MILF’s 114 Base Command, of going to Tipo-Tipo all the way from his base in Al-Barkah to reinforce the ASG, Dolorfino said.

“The MILF commander near Kurellem did not move. We are wondering how come Salim went to Tipo-Tipo from his base in Al-Barkah (town) to engage our troops,” said Dolorfino.

“That’s the reason why we filed a protest, because this is something that the MILF should look into, for them to discipline their men,” he said.

Salim died during the clash and his body was retrieved by government forces, said Dolorfino.

He added that they will use the picture of Salim’s body as evidence of MILF intervention in the clash.

Asked why Salim reinforced the ASG on Wednesday, Dolorfino said: “That I don’t know, siguro may mga kamag-anak siya dun (ASG group).”

Dolorfino said they are not expecting a retaliatory attack from the MILF, saying they are confident that they would heed the MILF leadership to observe the ceasefire agreement with the government.