At least eight members of the Abu Sayyaf were killed following a ground assault launched by government security forces on the bandit group's camp in Basilan, a military official said Monday.
Col. Carlito Galvez, commander of the Basilan-based 104th
Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, said government troops and policemen
launched the operations early dawn Monday in Barangay Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo
town.
Three soldiers were “slightly” wounded in the three-hour
clash, Galvez said.
Galvez did not identify the fatalities, but said they were
believed to be under Abu Sayyaf leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Furuji Indama, who
were the targets of the operation.
A separate military statement said
Hapilon and Indama were involved in the kidnapping of Australian national
Warren Rodwell, who was released last month after 15 months in captivity.
Hapilon and Indama, who are currently facing kidnapping and murder charges, were also involved in the burning of Ipil town in 1994, the attack on the Golden Harvest Plantation in 2001 and the Dos Palmas kidnapping in 2001, the statement added.
Hapilon and Indama, who are currently facing kidnapping and murder charges, were also involved in the burning of Ipil town in 1994, the attack on the Golden Harvest Plantation in 2001 and the Dos Palmas kidnapping in 2001, the statement added.
The Abu Sayyaf group, believed to have links with the al
Qaeda terrorist network, has been blamed for several kidnapping and bombing
incidents in southern Philippines
MILF not target
MILF not target
Meanwhile, Galvez denied that members of the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF), who are currently engaged in peace talks with the
Philippine government, were the targets of the operation.
“'Yung location ng Abu Sayyaf only 300 meters from the MILF.
Talagang lair nila 'yan. Nanindigan ang MILF na hindi sila tumulong, so
nakubkob namin iyong kampo in a span of an hour,” he said.
On the MILF website, however, the Moro group accused the government of violating their
ceasefire with the operation in Tipo-Tipo.
“Firefight ensued for nearly 30 minutes between the MILF
forces under Ustaz Hamzah Sapanton, Provincial Committee Chairman, and the
raiding government forces numbering to more or less 40 men,” said Abbas Salung,
member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities
(CCCH)
The MILF said it "suffered scores of casualties."
The MILF said it "suffered scores of casualties."
It added that the incident has been reported to MILF
headquarters at Camp
Darapanan
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