A government soldier who is injured in clashes with Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the southern Philippine island of Sulu grimaces in pain as military nurses clean his wound on Thursday, March 19, 2009 in Zamboanga City. Western Mindanao military chief Marines Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga also pinned medals to the wpunded. Senator Richard Gordon says government troops would be pull out from the jungle of Indanan where the Abu Sayyaf is holding hostage three Red Cross workers - Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba who were kidnapped in Sulu on January 15. Terrorist leader Albader Parad threatened to behead one of the foreigners if troops attacked them in Indanan following two days of clashes early this week. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Jung Francisco) ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 19, 2009) – Philippine military authorities agreed to reposition troops who surrounded the jungle lair of Abu Sayyaf terrorists who are holding hostage three aid workers in Sulu province.
The decision came after a terrorist leader Albader Parad threatened to behead one of the hostages after two days of fighting left three soldiers and an undetermined number of kidnappers dead and wounded in Indanan town.
The Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings-for-ransom, is holding Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino woman Mary Jean Lacaba who are working for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
They were snatched January 15 after inspecting a water and sanitation project at a prison facility in the town of Patikul.
Senator Richard Gordon, who is also the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, said the military agreed to reposition troops away from where the terrorists and their hostages are holding out.
“The soldiers will be repositioned away from the Abu Sayyaf,” he said, adding, the Abu Sayyaf promised to free one of the captives soon after troops are pulled out from the area.
Parad, a former Moro National Liberation Front rebel, warned that he would decapitate one of the foreign hostages if troops get near them or if fighting erupts again. He was wounded on Monday’s fighting after troops shot him while trying to break through the military cordon which is also being guard by policemen and armed civilians.
Western Mindanao military chief, Marine Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga: “The presence of the military in the area has to be maintained, but of course in the bigger picture, we still would allow any other peaceful efforts to bring the hostages back to safety.”
But Allaga said the military will not be cowed by Abu Sayyaf threats to kill one hostage.
“In a situation like this, it is like a battle of nerves and everybody seems to be panicking and everything. We are dealing here with a group of terrorists and we already saw their true colors in previous atrocities.”
“We should not allow ourselves to be subjected to the whims and caprices of the terrorists. We are dealing here with a terrorist group,” he told reporters in Zamboanga City after visiting soldiers wounded in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf at a military hospital.
The military said 19 soldiers were wounded in two days of fighting in Sulu. The bodies of three soldiers killed in the clashes were flown to Manila on Thursday. (With a report from Jung Francisco)
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