Troops guard a school against Abu Sayyaf attacks in Jolo island. The Abu Sayyaf has killed 5 soldiers and wounded 20 more in fierce clashes Monday 04 Sept 2006 in Jolo's Patikul town. (Juan Magtanggol)JOLO ISLAND (Juan Magtanggol / 04 Sept) At least 5 soldiers were killed and 20 more wounded in fierce clashes Monday with Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, where security forces are pursuing two Jemaah Islamiya terrorists blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings.
Army Maj. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, a regional military commander, said an undetermined number of gunmen were killed in the fighting before sunrise in the mountain village of Tugas in Patikul town.
"Five soldiers are dead and some 20 wounded in the fighting in Patikul. The fighting broke out after troops raided a hideout of the Abu Sayyaf and two JI militants Dulmatin and Umar Patek in Patikul," he said. "We have reports saying that many Abu Sayyaf terrorists are also killed and wounded."
Cedo said President Gloria Arroyo sent out a cell phone text (SMS) message to the soldiers fighting in Jolo. "My prayers for our troops," Arroyo said in her SMS. Cedo said he forwarded Arroyo's SMS message to the soldiers.
More troops were sent to Patikul, where militants have splintered into smaller groups.
"We are pursuing about 100 terrorists. We hit the groups of the Abu Sayyaf and Dulmatin; at least three groups of terrorists. The fighting is fierce and we have deployed attack helicopters to take down the terrorists. We will not allow them to terrorize Jolo and the innocent civilians," Cedo told the Mindanao Examiner.
Last month, soldiers also clashed with the Abu Sayyaf under Khadaffy Janjalani in Patikul town and recovered Dulmatin's tools in manufacturing bombs, including remote-controlled detonators and other electronic gadgets.
The Philippine military said the Abu Sayyaf was protecting Dulmatin and Patek in Jolo island, about 950 km south of Manila. A small group of US soldiers involved in training Filipino troops in anti-terrorism were helping the local military in the hunt for Janjalani and Dulmatin and Patek.
The United States offered as much as $10 million bounty for Dulmatin and $1 million for Patek's capture and another $5 million for known Abu Sayyaf leaders, including Khadaffy Janjalani, its chieftain. President Gloria Arroyo also put up P100 million rewards for the capture of the group's leaders and their members dead or alive.
1 comment:
Abu Sayaf and Dulmatin are ruthless, soul-less, and ungodly individuals. Once you put your guard down, you are dead. The key is always on the attack.
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