ZAMBOANGA CITY—Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar has ordered no letup in operations against those who staged an ambush on Sunday that killed seven policemen.

The seven policemen, who were assigned to the 1520th Police Provincial Mobile Group, were killed in the ambush in barangay Benembengan, Sumisip town.

The fatalities were returning from patrol operations and were on the way to Maluso town, where they are based, when they were waylaid by still-unidentified gunmen.

Akbar said the assailants must be made to pay for the crime as she condemned the incident.

Akbar arrived in Basilan on Monday after joining President Arroyo’s entourage in her trip to South America.

“I condole and sympathize with the families of the slain policemen. I am so saddened by this incident,” she said.

The Task Force Trillium chief, Rear Adm. Alexander Pama, said the motive behind the ambush could be revenge.

Pama said the assailants could be after Sumisip Mayor Haber Asarul, who has been supportive of the task force in the pursuit against Abu Sayyaf bandits and other lawless elements in his town.

Pama said the assailants thought Asarul was with the police convoy that they ambushed.

He said the assailants were led by Abogao Bayali, whose group was involved in the kidnapping of a lending company coordinator, who escaped on June 6.

The lending company coordinator managed to escape because of the continuous military operations against the kidnappers in Sumisip.

Pama said Asarul has been supporting the military action against the group of Bayali in Sumisip.

Col. Michaelo Salvaleon, commander of the Army’s 55th Engineering Brigade, said the unit will continue to implement infrastructure projects despite the ambush of two of his personnel in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.

Two soldiers assigned to the 55th Engineering Brigade were killed on Saturday night when they were ambushed by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in Tipo-Tipo.

They came from a nearby store when the bandits opened fire.

Salvaleon’s brigade is undertaking the construction of buildings in Tipo-Tipo Central Elementary School.

Salvaleon said the project that the brigade is undertaking is already 95 percent complete and would be turned over to the concerned agency next week.

The Army’s 55th Engineering Brigade is tasked to undertake 13 school projects in the province.