Intelligence sharing from Western Mindanao Command led to the discovery of the supposed Abu Sayyaf kidnapping plot in Bohol.
Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson of Westmincom, said that prior to the incident in Inabonga, Bohol on Tuesday, they had alerted the Central Command, the counterpart command in the central Philippines, the Abu Sayyaf plot.
Petinglay disclosed that military intelligence learned of the plot as a result of Westmincom's relentless tracking operations.
"So, we alerted Central Command. That’s why they raised the alert. We can not just ascertain the exact date as to when the Abu Sayyaf group will hatch their plot," Petinglay said.
According to Petinglay, Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. also took noted past kidnappings in Sipadan, Malaysia and Dos Palmas in Palawan that the Abu Sayyaf also staged during the Easter holidays.
She said the Abu Sayyaf might have tried to abduct victims in Central Visayas because of the relentless operations in the south, including along the border of Malaysia and the Philippines.
"That’s why we are on alert during this Lent," Petinglay added.
On Sunday, the US Embassy issued a warning to American citizens of potential kidnapping threats in Central Visayas. The Australian Embassy did the same on Monday.
'Boholanos defended themselves'
AFP Central Command and Police Regional Office 7, both based in Cebu, said Tuesday that a joint operation was launched Tuesday morning "against the suspected members of Abu Sayaff Group who reportedly entered the Visayas region by boat."
Security forces said five gunmen were killed in the firefight, which began at around 5:20 a.m. However, three soldiers and a police officer were also killed.
"Clearing operations" were ongoing Tuesday afternoon.
The AFP and PNP commended the local governments of Bohol for making "a brave stand to defend themselves against the threat of terrorism."
They said government security forces "simply reinforced the vigilance of the Boholanos, who organized themselves into a strong force to keep the province safe from any threat group."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.