Marines capture of Abu Sayyaf main camp in Sulu a big blow to terror group

From the Zamboanga Today (Jul 4): Marines capture of Abu Sayyaf main camp in Sulu a big blow to terror group

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has dealt a major setback to Abu Sayyaf (ASG) militants by capturing the main camp of the Al-Qaeda-linked terror group on June 30 in the troubled island province of Sulu in the southern Philippines.

“This is a big blow (to the Abu Sayyaf (ASG) leadership and organization),” Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command, said in an interview. “Kung baga bahay mo yung nakuha (As if your house was taken hold of).”

With the capture of Abu Sayyaf main camp, Radullan Sahiron has to go somewhere else where he is not very familiar or not very safe and secure, according to Guerrero.

“So we hope we will be able to eventually neutralize the entire group,” he added.

The seized camp served as the lair of  Leader, Radullan Sahiron. It is fortified with connecting trenches, well–established firing positions and hundreds of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) emplaced in all approaches.”

“It was abandoned they ran away so there was brief skirmishes but before there was a long fight against the occupants of the camp so apparently they withdrew and left behind several improvised explosive device more than 100 (IEDs),” said Guerrero.

The military in Sulu had earlier reported that at 3:00 p.m., June 30, 2014, Marine troops captured the main camp.

Prior the successful seizure of the ASG camp, an intense firefight ensued between operating troops and the group of Sahiron.

According to Brigadier General Martin Pinto, 2nd Marine Brigade Commander, troops had to breach the enemy’s defenses and squeeze themselves to the complex terrain to be able to get close to the objective.

“Despite the ASG’s terrain advantage, the Marines held their ground and returned fire as they inched their way to the camp, clearing several enemy satellite camps,” he said.

According to him, the persistence of the troops to push forward forced the heavily armed ASG to escape and scamper towards different directions, taking along with them undetermined number of casualties (dead and wounded comrades).

On the government side during the skirmishes, Marines suffered two wounded soldiers.

“We had two wounded in action (minor wounds). No government troop died during the fighting, it’s fortunate that we were able to get the camp without any massive casualty,” said Guerrero.

“We have received information, the enemies have been dragging along their wounded and killed comrades so I guess they suffered a lot during the encounter,” he said.

Clearing operations is still on-going as of this press time. “This is part of our continuing effort to address kidnapping. Basically that is the number one and address the terror threats. If we will not capture this camp we will not be able to address those threats in Western Mindanao area,” Guerrero said.

Meanwhile, Guerrero admitted the military successful operation against the Abu Sayyaf would not have been attain without the assistance of US in the form of training and support to the AFP’s civil military operations.

“The US assistance given to us has helped a lot. We have improved our medical centers as well as the skills of our soldiers and the military skills training  because they brought funds to rebuild schools, develop roads and bridges until today they on going projects.”

Reacting on reports that the US is disbanding its help on the Philippine troops in the fight against Al-Qaeda-linked terror militants, Guerrero said they will just reduce not disbanding.

“I don’t have (further details) because the decision is in the higher command, but apparently they (US troops in Mindanao) have scaled down their contingent as announced by Colonel Brown,” Guerrero said.

The general also said he does not think that the scaling down of US troops in the southern Philippines will affect the government’s campaign against terrorism.

“We have already acquired skills and we continue enhancing further the capability and skills of our soldiers besides we have the AFP’s modernization program so we don’t have to rely totally to the Americans because we have to stand with our own feet,” said Guerrero.

A year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the US military established the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines in the southern Philippines to help ill-equipped Filipino forces contain a bloody rampage by the Abu Sayyaf gunmen, who carried out bombings, terrorized entire towns and kidnapped more than 100 people, including three Americans.

Although US forces are barred by the Philippine Constitution from local combat, the advice, training, military equipment and intelligence, including drone surveillance that they provided helped the underfunded Philippine military beat back the Abu Sayyaf. US-backed Philippine offensives whittled the militants’ ranks from a few thousand fighters — mostly drawn from desperately poor hinterland villages — to about 300 gunmen, who survive on extortion and kidnappings for ransom while dodging military assaults.

The US and the Philippines, which are defense treaty allies, signed a 10-year pact in April that will allow possibly thousands of American forces temporary access to selected Filipino military camps and enable them to preposition fighter jets and ships.

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