Wow Sulu! Patikul Municipality

Mindanao Examiner Productions - Photo by Mark Navales, Art work by Jung Francisco.

"Wow Sulu" is a tourism slogan of Governor Sakur Tan, of the province of Sulu, the 15th largest island of the Philippine Archipelago in terms of the area, spanning 1,600 square kilometers. Sulu is a part of the Sulu Archipelago, which stretches from the tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula to the island of Borneo. The main island and also its islets are located between the island-provinces of Basilan to the northeast, and Tawi-Tawi to the southwest.

Sulu is located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Its capital is Jolo and occupies the middle group of islands of the Sulu Archipelago, between Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. It is home to the historical Sultanate of Sulu.

6 killed in clan war in Philippines

Relatives bury the victims of attack in Patikul town in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo - Nickee Butlangan).

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 23, 2010) – Gunmen killed six people in an attack on a Muslim village in what police claimed was triggered by a long time clan war in the southern Filipino province of Sulu.

Police said it launched an operation on Thursday to track down the murderers in the town of Patikul. The attack late Wednesday also left two more people wounded.

“We are still investigating the attack, but initial reports pointed to rido or clan war as the motive of the killings,” said Senior Superintendent Joseph Ramac, chief of the Sulu police force.

He said more policemen were sent to the village to prevent the escalation of hostilities between the warring clans. "We have additional forces in the area," he told the Mindanao Examiner by phone from Sulu province.

Clan war is not uncommon in the southern Philippines, particularly among Muslim clans and the U.S. Agency for International Development and think-tank The Asia Foundation have said more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past seven decades in family feuds in the restive region.

Rido can involve disputes among family members or among two or more rival families, pitting neighbors or different ethnic groups against each other. The disputes center on issues of land, money, marriage or political power and involve revenge killings.

The violence increases with each act of retaliation, broadening to include those not directly involved in the dispute, including women and children, according to the Asia Foundation, adding, some feuds lasted for decades. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)

Sulu Tourism: Wow Patikul

A shower of lights fill the coastal town of Patikul as the sun sets in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. Provincial Governor Sakur Tan says they are pursuing an ambitious

tourism program that will put Sulu in the map of world-class tourist destination.

(Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)

5 injured in grenade blast in Southern RP

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 1, 2008) – Five people were hurt when a rifle grenade exploded near a military base in the southern Philippine island of Sulu, police said on Thursday.

Police said the M79 grenade exploded on a road in the village of Liang in Patikul town, injuring a minor, two teenagers and two adults, all of them civilians.

“We are still investigating the incident. We don’t know who fired the M79 grenade, but the military claimed it was an improvised explosive device,” Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, the island’s police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner newspaper.

Kasim said there is an ongoing operation to collect illegal weapons in Sulu on orders from the island’s governor Sakur Tan.

Tan last year ordered police and military to arrest all civilians and politicians who own illegal weapons or maintain private armed gangs in an effort to rid Sulu of criminalities.

Kasim said the campaign is effective and has drastically reduced the proliferation of unlicensed firearms in Sulu.

But many illegal weapons are still in the hands of rebel groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf and the breakaway factions of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a peace agreement with Manila in 1996.

Security forces are battling the rebels in Sulu’s hinterlands where they usually seek cover from government offensives. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding a Chinese trader, Xili Wu, it seized in Sulu last month.

Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group as behind the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks across Mindanao. The Abu Sayyaf, which means "The Bearer of the Sword," has been labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyaf attacks troops, torch school in Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 25, 2008) – Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, attacked Thursday government soldiers and torched a school in Sulu island in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said the militants attacked marine soldiers in the village of Taglibi in Patikul town at around 12.45 a.m. and later torched the Datu Uddin Bahjin Central Elementary School.

“There were no reports of casualties,” said Lt. Steffani Cacho, a military spokeswoman.

Cacho said troops fought off the attackers, who later retreated under cover of darkness. “These attacks show the traitorous and coward-like character of the Abu Sayyaf, however, the troops’ vigilance have allowed them the upper hand and they were able to drive away the enemies,” she said.

Authorities have tagged the Abu Sayyaf group as behind the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks across Mindanao. The Abu Sayyaf, which means "The Bearer of the Sword," has been labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network.

Two factions of the Abu Sayyaf are still holding a kidnapped a Chinese trader Xili Wu in Sulu province. Wu was kidnapped Dec. 14 in the capital town of Jolo while he closing his appliances’ store. Another group is holding a nine-year old Filipino girl in Basilan island, south of Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyafs ambush marines in Sulu Island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 24, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants detonated a roadside bomb on Monday, wounding four Filipino marines in the southern Philippine island of Sulu, officials said.

General Mohammad Dolorfino, chief of the Philippines Marines, said the soldiers were on board a truck and passing through the village of Bangkal in Patikul town when the explosion occurred.

“Four of my marines are wounded in the attack, believed carried out by the Abu Sayyaf,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the bomb was placed on a pile of garbage on the side of the road and detonated as the M35 truck passed. “Soldiers recovered 50 meters of electrical wire and this suggested that the perpetrators had detonated the explosive as the truck was passing by,” he said.

Dolorfino did not say how many soldiers were on the truck, but they were heading to a marine detachment near Patikul tow. The soldiers came from a marine base in Buhanginan village in Patikul town, where US troops are deployed.

Abu Sayyaf militants in August also ambushed a Philippine and US military convoy in Sulu, killing four Filipino soldiers and wounded ten more in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town.

The incident was also not reported to the local media, but the Guam Army National Guard released a brief statement confirming that one of its servicemen was unharmed following an attack on his unit in Sulu.

The US soldier was not identified, but the Guam Army National Guard said the serviceman is attached to a platoon with the 294th Infantry Regiment deployed in May in Sulu to aide in the ongoing conflict there.

The Philippine military and the US Embassy in Manila insisted no US soldiers were in the attacked convoy.

American troops are training and assisting local soldiers in defeating terrorism in the southern Philippines on the request of the Philippine government. Earlier this month, Filipino soldiers also captured an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Sakirin Andalan Sali and killed another militant, Faidar Hadjadi, in a firefight in Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)

Soldiers Rescue 2 Kids Kidnapped In South RP

A photo released by the Philippine military show the two rescued children and their parents in Sulu province.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 21, 2008) – Government soldiers rescued Sunday two children who were reported kidnapped in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, police said.

Police said two people were also arrested after soldiers swooped down on a house in the village of Anuling in Patikul town where the children – Ben Austine Doyola, 3, and his brother Benedict, 2, - were being held.

The children were allegedly kidnapped last week in the family’s home in Jolo town and their captors reportedly demanded P 1 million ransom. It was not immediately known if the kidnapping had to do with old debts.

Police said the parents of the children Elena Doyola, 26, and Bienvenido Doyola, Jr, sought the help of authorities in rescuing the two kids.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan has ordered police to file criminal charges against those arrested, Julmina Hatae and her father Jamiri Jalisan and other who were involved in the kidnapping of the children.

“Justice must be served and let this be a warning to other criminals that authorities will eventually catch up on you, sooner or later,” Tan said.

The military tagged the woman’s husband, Hajal Hatae, as behind the kidnapping, but it was not immediately known whether he has links with rebel groups or not. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)

Guam Army National Guard Unhurt In Southern Philippines Attack, 4 Filipino Marines Killed

A convoy of US and Philippine troops pass on a village in Jolo town in the southern Filipino province of Sulu. Abu Sayyaf militants attacked US and Filipino soldiers in the village of Bonbon in Sulu's Patikul town on Saturday, August 30, 2008 killing four local soldiers and wounding ten more. A member of the Guam Army National Guard was unharmed in the attack. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 31, 2008) – The Philippine military launched a “calibrated” offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants following an attack that killed four Filipino soldiers and wounded ten more in the southern island of Sulu, officials said.

US soldiers were in the military convoy when militants attacked them with mortars and automatic weapons near a marine base in the village of Bonbon in Patikul town over the weekend. The attack occurred two days before the start of the Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month.

Filipino security officials did not report about the presence of US troops in the convoy, but the Guam Army National Guard released a brief statement Saturday, confirming that a local serviceman currently was unharmed following an attack on his unit on the island.

The US soldier was not identified, but the Guam Army National Guard said the serviceman is attached to a platoon with the 294th Infantry Regiment deployed in May in Sulu to aide in the ongoing conflict there.

No other details were made available by the Philippine and US military about the American involvement in the operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, but the members of the 294th Infantry Regiment are assigned to the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines.

The attack came two days after Filipino and US soldiers and provincial government officials inaugurated various development and infrastructure projects in Patikul town.

Four artesian wells have been handed over to local officials in the villages of Timpook, Taung, Tanum, and Liang and a new school building in the village of Bonbon and two road projects in Liang and Bud Datu, all in Patikul.

At least 30 US soldiers, part of the Guam Army National Guard's 1st Battalion under the 294th Infantry Regiment, were deployed in Sulu to serve as security - for at least for six months - for a unit of the Special Operations Command-Pacific.

Hundreds of US troops are deployed in Sulu and other parts of the southern Philippines also conducting joint civilian-military operations and training with the Philippine military.

The humanitarian missions is part of the Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder," an annual Philippine and US bilateral military humanitarian assistance and training activity.

Though US and Philippine government officials have consistently claimed that the unit is not involved in actual combat, US troops themselves describe their mission as "unconventional warfare" and "counter-insurgency" operations in the country. US troops join Filipino soldiers on patrol, provide them with intelligence, and assist in various aspects of their operation.

American soldiers are also active in many development and humanitarian activities in the southern Philippines, especially in Sulu province where they built roads and schools and join medical missions with local troops and provincial government mostly in poor areas.

Just earlier this year, about 600 US troops worked with civilian authorities and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in various humanitarian projects that included free medical, dental and veterinary care in Sulu province and also in central and Western part of Mindanao.

US and Philippine soldiers, many of them construction engineers, built schools and other community infrastructures in those areas. In 2006, the United States Navy hospital ship Mercy had treated more than 60,000 mostly poor Filipino patients in separate medical missions in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi islands, including Zamboanga City, as part of the Project Bayanihan. (Mindanao Examiner)

4 Soldiers Killed, 10 Wounded In Rebel Attack In Sulu Province

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 30, 2008) – Four government soldiers were killed and ten more wounded in a clash Saturday with suspected rebels in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, officials said.

“Four of our soldiers are dead in the fighting. Ten more are wounded and operation is going in the area,” Army Maj. Eugene Batara, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, told reporters.

He said gunmen attacked a military patrol at around 7 a.m. in Bonbon village in Patikul town, sparking a running gun battle that lasted for ten minutes. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the town is a known lair of the militant group Abu Sayyaf, blamed for previous attacks on soldiers and civilians.

Batara said the gunmen used small weapons and mortars in attacking the soldiers.

“We suspect the Abu Sayyaf was involved in the attack,” Batara said, adding, an undetermined number of gunmen were believed killed or wounded in the clash.

The attack came two days after soldiers and provincial government officials inaugurated various development and infrastructure projects in Patikul town.

Four artesian wells have been handed over to local officials in the villages of Timpook, Taung, Tanum, and Liang and a new school building in the village of Bonbon and two road projects in Liang and Bud Datu, all in Patikul. (Mindanao Examiner)

New Projects Inagurated In Sulu Province

Philippine Marines Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban and Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan during the inauguration of various development projects in the Sulu province. (Philippine Marines Photos)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 29, 2008) – Philippine and United States soldiers have finished various development and infrastructure projects in the southern Sulu province, officials said Friday.

Officials said the projects, which were inaugurated Thursday, are part of joint undertakings with the Sulu provincial government and will benefit the civilians in the town of Patikul.

Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, a Filipino marine commander, said four artesian wells have been handed to local officials in the villages of Timpook, Taung, Tanum, and Liang, all in Patikul town.

Aside from the wells, military and provincial officials, led by Gov. Sakur Tan, also inaugurated a new school building in the village of Bonbon and two road projects in Liang and Bud Datu, also in Patikul.

“The inaugurations are the result of successful unity of efforts among the Joint Task Force Comet, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines and the Provincial government in accomplishing these humanitarian goals,” Sabban said.

Sabban said while development is the primary responsibility of the local government, there is growing recognition on the significant benefits derived from partnership and teamwork in the delivery of basic services to the people.

“We believe in a teamwork approach in fulfilling the aspirations of our people towards access to basic necessities. The people’s welfare has always been our top priority, and is one to which the military has devoted time and energy.”

“The local government officials deserve commendation for their unrelenting support. And though there are still a variety of development challenges, we are very certain that we can brave the odds with everyone’s continued cooperation,” Sabban said.

Tan, for his part, said he would continue supporting various military humanitarian activities. “We will support efforts of the military, both from the Philippines and the United States, to bring about change and hope for brighter future through humanitarian activities and infrastructure and development projects across Sulu. With the cooperation of the people, we are sure Sulu will be one of the peaceful places in southern Philippines,” he said.

The provincial government, Tan said, has lined up various development projects in mostly poor areas in Sulu’s 19 towns. In April, Tan funded the construction of at least 50 bamboo houses, worth over P26,500 each, for poor Badjao families in Tandu Bato in Luuk town.

The project called “Operation Kandili – Preserving a unique culture through providing homes for the Badjao,” is a partnership between the Philippine Marines and the Sulu provincial government.

At least 50 more bamboo houses in Luuk town will be constructed soon, including basketball courts in the villages and Tan pledged to release more funding for education and poverty alleviation programs.

”We have been funding and implementing a lot of projects in Sulu and all these are part of our peace and development programs. We want a culture of peace and this can be achieved through education and basic infrastructure projects and with the participation of course, of the people themselves,” he said.

The US military was also represented by Maj. Joseph Mouer. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Killed In Sulu Fighting

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 20, 2008) – A Philippine marine commander and a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant were killed in fighting in the southern island of Sulu, officials said on Wednesday.

Militants ambushed Capt. Abduhari Sulani, commander of the 81st Marine Company, as he was traveling on motorcycle on Tuesday near the town of Patikul. Soldiers who pursued the ambushers also killed one of them in a running gun battle.

Soldiers recovered a .45-caliber pistol and two magazines from the slain militant.

“We raise our heads high with full knowledge that he did not die in vain. We pray for the quick recovery and the inner healing of his loved ones,” Marine Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban said in a statement.

Sulani was shot at least 9 times and died at a military hospital. Sulani was able to fire back and fought his attackers before government reinforcements arrived.

The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for previous attacks on civilian and military targets in Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Sayyaf Kidnappers Nabbed In Southern Philippines

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 20, 2008) – Two Abu Sayyaf members linked to the kidnapping of a Philippine television presenter and three others had been arrested in the southern province of Sulu, police said.

Police said the duo was intercepted at a government checkpoint near a marine base in the village of Buhanginan in Patikul town on Saturday.

The two, both teenagers, were positively identified by the authorities as involved in the June 8 kidnapping of Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including their guide Prof. Octavio Dinampo. The four were freed weeks later after private negotiators paid P20 million ransom.

One of the two suspects was identified as Nadzmir Amirul. They were on a motorcycle when stopped at the checkpoint. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: Wow Sulu 2008

A beach in Patikul town and the beautiful island of Panngutaran in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. The provincial governor, philanthropist Sakur Tan, says he is inviting Filipinos and foreign holidaymakers to visit Sulu and enjoy its rich culture and exotic culinary dishes as part of the Wow Sulu 2008 tourism program. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Sayyaf Man Killed In Southern RP Clash

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 21, 2008) – Government soldiers killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant in a clash Friday in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, officials said.

Officials said the fighting occurred in the town of Patikul where soldiers tracked down the militant. There were no reports of military casualties.

“One Abu Sayyaf terrorist is killed and we have recovered his weapon, an M16 automatic rifle. We are still ascertaining the identity of the terrorist,” Marine commander, Colonel Natalio Ecarma, said.

The clash broke out during Lent’s holiest day, but Sulu is a predominantly Muslim province where security forces are fighting the al-Qaeda-linked militant group. Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, Filipino authorities said Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya militants are also hiding in Sulu.

Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said the operation against the insurgents will not stop even on Holy Week. This is the time that Catholics usually devout observance, commemorating the passion and Christ's death on the cross. (Mindanao Examiner)

Abu Sayyaf Lording Again In Southern Philippines

Two Muslim women look at a military truck carrying troops in Sulu province in southern Philippines. Military intelligence reports say Abu Sayyaf militants have put up roadblocks and checkpoints in Patikul town and collecting forced taxation on Muslim villagers on Wednesday. Two policemen rest in Patikul town during a peace caravan Saturday, January 19, 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Photos/Arthur Abasolo and Jun Delgado)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 23, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have put up roadblocks in the southern Filipino province of Sulu and were extorting illegal taxation from Muslim villagers.

The militant, mostly members of an Abu Sayyaf faction from Basilan province, were spotted in the town of Patikul and had attempted to kidnap local construction workers, according to military intelligence reports.

It was unclear how the attempted kidnapping occur, but another report said one Muslim engineer Jumlail Esmael was almost abducted after he was stopped at a checkpoint, but had negotiated his way to freedom. It was not immediately known whether the man paid money or not.

It said the gunmen, numbering more than 100 had split into several groups near the village of Taung and were collecting so-called "revolutionary taxes." One report said the Abu Sayyaf is also holding in the town of Indanan a Muslim teacher it kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi province on January 15.

It was unknown whether the hostage was Omar Taup, a Notre Dame teacher kidnapped in the village of Likud Tabawan in Tawi-Tawi's South Ubian town. A Catholic priest, Jesus Reynaldo Roda, was killed by the Abu Sayyaf during the kidnapping.

Last week, suspected Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped a junk shop worker and was only freed after his employer paid about P200,000 ransom.

The latest military intelligence reports came just days after the military ordered the pull out of all army troops and redeployed them in the province of Lanao del Norte as part of a new strategy in combating terrorism.

The Philippine Marines have taken over the functions of the army in anti-insurgency operation in Sulu, but dozens of their soldiers were killed by the Abu Sayyaf and Moro National Liberation Front rebels in fierce clashes since last year.

Villagers were worried that the redeployment of army troops would trigger the return of Abu Sayyaf to Sulu province, where security forces are pursuing several Jemaah Islamiya bombers, including Indonesian militant Dulmatin and Umar Patek, blamed for several bombings in the province.

Jakarta tagged both men as behind the deadly 2001 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. (With a report from Nickee Butlangan)

Militants Attack Southern Philippine Village

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 24, 2007) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants attacked a remote village in the province of Sulu, about 950 kilometers south of Manila, officials said Monday.

Officials said the gunmen strafed the village of Latih in Patikul town, but no one was hurt or killed in the attack.

Initial military reports said about ten gunmen fired indiscriminately to the village and apparently were targeting the village chieftain Ahmad Albani.

The motive of the attack was unknown, but Albani is a staunch military supporter. (Nickee Butlangan)

Two Kidnapped Filipinos Escape In Sulu Province

Policemen escort two escaped men in the southern RP province of Sulu. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Nickee Butlangan)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 18, 2007) – Two Filipinos seized in the southern province of Sulu had escaped from their captors and security forces on Monday mounted fresh operation to capture Abu Sayyaf militants tagged as behind the kidnappings, officials said.

Officials said the two men, Rolando Benitez and Edmar Molina, escaped late Sunday in the village of Wanni in Patikul town, five days after they were seized in the neighboring town of Patikul.

It was unknown how the two men were able to escaped, but Maj. Gen. Reuben Rafael, commander of military forces in Sulu, said troops were pursuing the kidnappers in the hinterlands.

"The victims are now in our custody and were already examined by doctors. They are okay," Rafael told the Mindanao Examiner by telephone from Sulu, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.

He said soldiers were tracking down the militants, who originally demanded five million pesos ransom in exchange for the safe release of the two men, who are workers of Panglima town mayor Munib Estino in Sulu.

The two had been recovered by soldiers, sent to rescue them, Rafael said. "The kidnappers may have also been pressured by the rescue operation, They were constantly moving from one hideout to another and this gave the victims a chance to escape," he said.

Other reports said the two men sought the help of a villager, who turned out to be a member of the former rebel group Moro National Liberation Front, and informed police about the escape.

The two were driving a jeep in Patikul when gunmen flagged down the vehicle and seized them. The gunmen also took their jeep.

Estino is an influential politician in Sulu. It was unclear whether the abduction was connected to a feud or not or has anything to do with the politician or simply for money. Two of the kidnappers have been identified as Kirrih Hamid and Juhurim Husein. (Nickee Butlangan)

Fresh Fighting Leaves 13 Sayyaf, Soldiers Dead In Jolo Island

Philippine troops in Jolo island prepare to battle Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya. At least 10 militants and three soldiers are dead in fresh fighting Thursday, Jan. 18, 2006 in Jolo's Patikul town. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 18 Jan) – At least 13 Abu Sayyaf militants and soldiers were killed in fierce fighting that erupted Thursday in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, where security forces were battling the al-Qaeda-linked terror group, officials said.

Officials said two Abu Sayyaf gunmen were also captured by soldiers in the hinterland village of Timpook in Patikul town, where the gun battle broke out shortly before noontime.

“Troops killed at least 10 enemies and captured two others, but three of our soldiers also died in the fighting in Patikul town. The fighting is still raging in the area,” Army Major Eugene Batara, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, told the Mindanao Examiner.

The fighting broke out after soldiers caught up with a band of Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the village, he said.

The military on Wednesday sent more troops to the troubled island to help hundreds of soldiers already on Jolo fighting the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants.

Security officials previously said that as many as six Indonesian militants are hiding in Jolo, including Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who were both suspected of playing a role in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 mostly foreigners.

On Tuesday, Filipino troops, guided by U.S. military intelligence, raided an Abu Sayyaf hideout on Bud Dajo (also called Mount Daho) in Jolo’s Talipao town, south of Patikul, and killed a senior militant leader, Jainal Antel Sali, Jr. alias Abu Solaiman.

The latest fighting came ahead of a planned visit in Jolo of U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice before the start of new joint RP-US anti-terror exercises next month on the island.

The Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya are both in the U.S. list of international terrorist organizations, blamed for the kidnappings of foreigners and spate of bombings in the Philippines and Indonesia. (Mindanao Examiner)

2 Soldiers Killed, 8 Others Wounded In Sayyaf Clash In Jolo Island

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