Philippines shells Abu Sayyaf base

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Apr 29): Philippines shells Abu Sayyaf base

Philippine security forces shelled a jungle encampment of the Abu Sayyaf in the southern province of Sulu forcing militants to flee the assault, officials said on Tuesday.

Marine Captain Maria Rowena Muyuela, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command, said the operation against the Abu Sayyaf is continuing in the town of Patikul, a known stronghold of the militant group linked by authorities to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya.

“Due to its proximity to feeder road and trails, it was also being utilized as a staging and rendezvous area before and after their conduct of atrocities like kidnapping. By employing a well directed mortar fires, the Marines were able to force the Abu Sayyaf to abandon the camp and withdraw towards different directions,” she told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Muyuela said the Monday assault killed a still undetermined number of militants. She said troops have occupied the fortified camp which can accommodate at least 100 people.

“The camp has more or less 50 makeshift huts that can accommodate around 100 bandits.  It has a good water source and the whole area is concealed under a thickly vegetated forest. The camp is heavily fortified with bunkers.”

“Individual foxholes are strategically emplaced and scattered in different defensive positions.  The captured camp was reportedly one of the Abu Sayyaf havens where consolidations, meetings and training of their new and young recruits are being conducted,” she said.

Malaysia foils new intrusion attempt by kidnappers

Malaysia also reported that it foiled a new attempt by kidnappers from the southern Philippines to intrude into Sabah.

Eastern Sabah Security Command Director-General Datuk Mohammad Mentek said the presence of security personnel prevented the intrusion, but it was unclear if the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the latest attempt to cross into the border or if it was connected to the ongoing military operations against the militant group in Sulu.

The Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that the tight security in Sabah prevented the entry of lawless elements through Semporna where the Abu Sayyaf has kidnapped a Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and a Filipina resort worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, in Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort.

Kuala Lumpur has tagged Abu Sayyaf militants as behind the April 2 raid on the resort. The victims were taken to the Filipino province of Tawi-Tawi before being transferred by boat to the neighboring island of Sulu where they are being held by the Abu Sayyaf under Alhabsi Misaya.

“We are serious about this intrusion attempt and we cannot afford to have another incident after the still unresolved kidnapping case at Singamata resort last April 2 occurring,” Mohammad told Bernama.

He said security forces were still collecting information about the identities of the gunmen. He said Philippine authorities are closely monitoring the situation and location of the two kidnapped victims.

Mohammad, citing intelligence information, said the Chinese victim is in regular communication with her family over ransom deal. The kidnappers were demanding RM36.4 million in ransom for the release of the Shanghai woman.

He said Malaysian security officials were sent to Sulu to work closely with the authorities over there for the safe release of the victim. “We have sent our officers to Jolo Island and working closely with the Philippines intelligence for the safe release of the victim,” he said.

There was no report about the fate of the Filipina victim. Police in Sulu remain silent over the reports, although the Philippine military said troops are searching for the hostages.

Other reports said a Filipina woman, Sugar Diane Buenviaje, is also being held captive by Misaya’s group in Mount Taran in Indanan town. The 33-year old woman, whose family owns Cagayan Enterprises and General Merchandise, was kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi’s Mapun town on February this year. Misaya was also tagged as behind the series of bombings in Sulu in recent years.

The Abu Sayyaf was largely blamed for the daring raid on the posh Pulau Sipadan resort in 2000 where they kidnapped 21 people and ransomed them off to Malaysia and Libya for at least $25 million.

In November last year, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped a Taiwanese tourist Chang An Wei, 58, after killing her husband Hsu Li Min, 57, in a daring cross-border raid in Sabah’s Pom Pom Island. The woman was eventually released a month later near the village of Liban in Talipao town in Sulu after paying ransom.

The Abu Sayyaf has resorted to ransom kidnappings to raise money for the purchase weapons and fund terror attacks in the Philippines.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/04/philippines-shells-abu-sayyaf-base.html