Troops find another abandoned Abu Sayyaf camp in Patikul, Sulu

From InterAksyon (Oct 20): Troops find another abandoned Abu Sayyaf camp in Patikul, Sulu

Government troops found another abandoned Abu Sayyaf camp in Patikul, Sulu Monday morning, just “a few hundred meters away” from a larger encampment discovered Sunday, the military said.

The military has been pursuing the Abu Sayyaf since the Friday night release of two Germans taken hostage off Palawan in April.

"I believe that it is a security outpost that is manned by more or less 10 people. We are continuously tracking them as they flee towards the forested parts of the town," Col. Alan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, said of the “satellite camp” found in Barangay Kabuntakas Monday by soldiers of Bravo Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, led by Lieutenant Chester Catapang.

The larger camp could hold 100 persons.

Earlier, the military said the troops were having difficulty engaging the Abu Sayyaf, who are believed to be holding 10 more hostages, including three foreigners, because they have been mingling with the civilian population.

Around two brigades, or more than 3,000 soldiers, have been deployed mainly to Patikul town.

The military has said it had no part in the negotiations for the release of Viktor Estefan Okonek, 71, and Henrike Dielen, 55, amid reports that a P250-million ransom was paid to secure their freedom.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/97579/troops-find-another-abu-sayyaf-camp-in-sulu