Monday, April 15, 2013

8 bandits killed in fresh campaign vs Abu Sayyaf in Basilan

From GMA News (Apr 15): 8 bandits killed in fresh campaign vs Abu Sayyaf in Basilan

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.

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 and Metro Manila.

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.
 

“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."

It added that the incident has been reported to MILF headquarters at Camp Darapanan. The MILF headquarters instructed the MILF CCCH to file a complaint for ceasefire violations.


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