Dozens killed in fighting in southern Philippines

Relatives in Zamboanga City view Thursday, August 13, 2009 the caskets of soldiers killed in fierce clashes in Basilan province in the southern Philippines. And a photo released by the military shows Western Mindanao Command chief, Major General Benjamin Dolorfino, as he pins a medal to a wounded soldier while a regional navy chief, Admiral Alexander Pama looks on, at a military hospital in Zamboanga City. Fighting in Basilan province on Wednesday left 23 soldiers dead and 20 Abu Sayyaf militants and 19 more security men wounded. (Mindanao Examiner Photo).

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 13, 2009) – At least 43 soldiers and militants were killed in fierce clashes in the southern Filipino province of Basilan, where security forces stormed an Abu Sayyaf camp.

The fighting, which began Wednesday, also left more than a dozen soldiers wounded in the town of Ungkaya Pukan after security forces stormed an Abu Sayyaf camp in Silangkum village.

Soldiers recovered at least 10 bodies of slain militants and improvised explosives and high-powered weapons from the Abu Sayyaf camp, said First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional army spokeswoman.

She said troops were fighting the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings for ransom in Basilan and nearby city of Zamboanga.

Troops on Thursday continued their hunt for the militants in the hinterland villages of Baguindan and Silangkum in the town of Ungkaya Pukan where the fighting erupted.

Military sources in Basilan said 23 soldiers, including two army lieutenants, and 20 militants were killed in the daylong fighting. The cadavers of the soldiers were brought to the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.

But Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is negotiating peace with Manila said troops also clashed with rebel forces in Baguindan village.

“Troops attacked MILF forces in the village and this triggered fierce clashes. Nine of our members and more than 20 government soldiers were killed in the fighting,” Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Kabalu said troops ambushed a group of rebels led by Asid Sali and a firefight ensued. “Commander Sali’s group was on their way to another MILF camp when troops ambushed them and that’s it,” he said.

“The Western Mindanao Command launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf main training camp in the province. Recovered from the camp were sizeable quantities of IEDs rigged to explode while others were ready for use,” Cacho said, adding at least 13 high-powered firearms were also seized by soldiers in the militant’s base.

Cacho said the MILF was informed about the offensive operation against the Abu Sayyaf. “We have coordinated with the MILF and the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities to avoid clashes between rebels and troops in Basilan. Our operation targeted the Abu Sayyaf,” she said.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting the past three decades for self-determination. Rebels are actively operating in Basilan. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops storm Basilan Sayyaf camp; 10 killed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 12, 2009) – At least 10 Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in fierce fighting Wednesday in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said troops stormed an Abu Sayyaf camp at around 3 a.m. in the village of Silangkum in Ungkaya Pukan town, sparking fierce clashes that left a still unknown number of military casualties.

“The fighting is still going and we cannot give out any details about the military casualties,” First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional army spokeswoman, told the Mindanao Examiner.

She said soldiers have recovered at least 10 bodies of slain militants and improvised explosives and high-powered weapons from the Abu Sayyaf camp.

“The Western Mindanao Command launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf main training camp in the province. Recovered from the camp were sizeable quantities of IEDs rigged to explode while others were ready for use,” Cacho said, adding at least 13 high-powered firearms were also seized by soldiers in the militant’s base.

Cacho said Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels negotiating peace with Manila was informed about the offensive operation against the Abu Sayyaf. “We have coordinated with the MILF and the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities to avoid clashes between rebels and troops in Basilan. Our operation targeted the Abu Sayyaf,” she said.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting the past three decades for self-determination. Rebels are actively operating in Basilan. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops storm Basilan Sayyaf camp; 10 killed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 12, 2009) – At least 10 Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in fierce fighting Wednesday in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said troops stormed an Abu Sayyaf camp at around 3 a.m. in the village of Silangkum in Ungkaya Pukan town, sparking fierce clashes that left a still unknown number of military casualties.

“The fighting is still going and we cannot give out any details about the military casualties,” First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a regional army spokeswoman, told the Mindanao Examiner.

She said soldiers have recovered at least 10 bodies of slain militants and improvised explosives and high-powered weapons from the Abu Sayyaf camp.

“The Western Mindanao Command launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf main training camp in the province. Recovered from the camp were sizeable quantities of IEDs rigged to explode while others were ready for use,” Cacho said, adding at least 13 high-powered firearms were also seized by soldiers in the militant’s base.

Cacho said Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels negotiating peace with Manila was informed about the offensive operation against the Abu Sayyaf. “We have coordinated with the MILF and the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities to avoid clashes between rebels and troops in Basilan. Our operation targeted the Abu Sayyaf,” she said.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting the past three decades for self-determination. Rebels are actively operating in Basilan. (Mindanao Examiner)

Grenade explosion kills 2 marines in Basilan Island

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Troops launch offensive vs. Abu Sayyaf; 7 people kidnapped in Basilan anew

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 2, 2008) – Government troops on Tuesday mounted fresh operations to flush out Abu Sayyaf militants, blamed for the spate of kidnappings-for-ransom in Basilan island in the southern Philippines.

On Monday, seven people had been kidnapped in the restive province, south of Zamboanga City, and two government militias were wounded in an attack later in the day near Ungkaya Pukan town, scene of previous clashes between Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels and soldiers.

Marine Col. Rustico Guererro said troops were also parrying attacks from members of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is sheltering the Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group has been linked by authorities to the Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya.

Guererro blamed the attack on the marine post on the MILF rebels. “The attack is believed to a diversionary tactic by the rebels to slow us down, but our operation against the Abu Sayyaf will continue until they are neutralized,” he said.

There were no reports about the fate of the kidnapped victims, all logging workers, but Guererro said security forces were sent to track down the hostages. “These people were all innocent victims. There are efforts to locate them,” he said.

No group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, although the military suspects the MILF was behind it.

Basilan deputy governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul said more than 700 Muslim families were affected by the sporadic fighting between rebels and soldiers. “We hope this fighting would end soon,” he said.

Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, said government forces were attacking rebel positions in the guise of pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants, blamed for the string of attacks on troops and kidnappings-for-ransom on the island, south of Zamboanga City.

“We are still awaiting reports from our commanders in Basilan about the fighting,” he said. “Apparently, the military is just using the operations against the Abu Sayyaf to justify continued attacks on the MILF.”

Fighting on the island began last Friday after troops mounted an operation to flush out the Abu Sayyaf, which is believed to be holding two kidnapped civilians - Joed Pilangga, a nursing student snatched Oct. 17 in Zamboanga City, and Nicole Raveche, seized Nov. 26 in Lamitan City - for ransom.

More than a dozen people had been kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan, including two aid workers, and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms. Locals blamed the police and military authorities in Basilan, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, for its failure to secure the safety of the civilians.

The military accused MILF rebels of sheltering Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, leaders of an Abu Sayyaf faction largely blamed for the kidnappings in Basilan. They also sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam.

A Catholic clergy, Bishop Martin Jumoad, has previously blamed the police and military for the breakdown of peace and order in Basilan after receiving also a signed letter from the Abu Sayyaf threatening his group.

Jumoad earlier sought the replacement of the Basilan police chief Salik Macapantar for his failure to secure the island from the Abu Sayyaf atrocities. In October, gunmen also ambushed and wounded Claretian priest Felimon Libot in while on his way to say mass in Basilan's Sumisip town. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Troops Shell MILF Camps

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

2 MILF Mujahideen Killed, 11 Troops Wounded In Basilan Clash

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 25, 2008) – At least ten government soldiers were wounded in fierce fighting Sunday with Muslim rebels in the southern Filipino island of Basilan, officials said.

Philippine Marines chief General Mohammad Dolorfino said Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, backed by the Abu Sayyaf, attacked a military detachment in Tongbato village in Ungkaya Pukan town near Tipo-Tipo town.

“Ten soldiers were wounded in the raid,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

They also ambushed government reinforcement in the nearby village Matarling, wounding one more soldier. “A V150 armored vehicle was also damaged from a landmine explosion,” Dolorfino said.

The MILF said troops first attacked rebel forces in Tipo-Tipo. It also denied that Abu Sayyaf militants had joined the MILF in the fighting. “The soldiers attacked our positions in Tipo-Tipo town and fighting is going on and there is no Abu Sayyaf in our group,” Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said in a separate interview.

The MILF is currently negotiating peace with Manila, but despite a cease-fire accord sporadic fighting still continue in many parts of Mindanao with rebels and soldiers accusing each other of breaking the truce.

Police also deployed forces in the area to secure the civilians. It did not say how many people had fled their homes. “We are awaiting reports from the ground,” said Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, the provincial police chief.

Iqbal said government troops attacked the MILF forces, triggering a fierce firefight. “The military violated again the cease-fire agreement. Our forces are just responding to military attacks and rebels are only defending themselves,” he said.

The MILF has repeatedly warned security forces to stay away near rebel camps and soldiers had been reported encroaching in those areas and sparking sporadic clashes.

Last week, soldiers fired on armed rebels working at a farm in Baguindan village, igniting hours of sporadic clashes in Tipo-Tipo town, Iqbal said.

Military officials have issued conflicting statements about the fighting and said troops clashes with the Abu Sayyaf. Other officials said the MILF attacked a group of marines securing a road project in the town.

The MILF has accused the Arroyo government of delaying the peace talks after negotiations were stalled last year over demands for Muslim ancestral domain.

Rebel leaders said the ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before they can reach a political settlement and with the talks stalled; the hope of ending more than three decades of bloody hostilities remains dim.

Manila said the provisions of the peace agreement should be within the framework of the Constitution. Government negotiators, led by Rodolfo Garcia, had previously approved the ancestral domain only to renege on the deal later.

Sporadic clashes had been reported in Mindanao since last month after Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, pulled out its truce observers because of the slow progress of the negotiations. Malaysia has blamed the Arroyo government for the delay in the talks.

Security forces also raided the house of Mike Dalem, an MILF political officer, in Buluan town in Maguindanao province last week. Iqbal said the raid was illegal and violated the cease-fire agreement the government signed with the MILF.

The MILF previously said the Philippine military have been building up its forces in Mindanao the past weeks and it fears that renewed hostilities may break out because troops were reported massing near areas controlled by rebels in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces. (Mindanao Examiner)

Fighting Erupts In Southern RP Province

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 25, 2008) – Troops killed an unidentified gunman in a barrage of mortar fires after security forces foiled an attack early Monday on a military post in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said troops fired on a group of armed men near their post in the village of Baguindan in Ungkaya Pukan town shortly before 3 a.m. An ensuing fire fight killed one gunman, said Army Major Eugene Batara, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

“The armed men were moving towards the position of the troops and stopped them after security forces fired mortar rounds. One enemy was killed,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

There were no reports of military casualties and no group claimed responsibility for the foiled attack, but the area is a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’s largest Muslim secessionist rebel group currently negotiating peace with Manila.

The MILF did not say whether the slain gunman was a member or not, but rebel forces had previously clashed with government soldiers in the town since last year.

Peace talks between Manila and the MILF was stalled last year after government and rebel negotiators failed to agree on the most contentious issue, the ancestral domain that will comprise the homeland for some 4 million Muslims in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops Hunt Sayyaf In Basilan Island

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 19, 2007) – Security forces on Wednesday searched for Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for the killing of two soldiers in the southern Filipino province of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said two soldiers were killed and five more wounded in four hours of fighting in the town of Ungkaya Pukan on Tuesday, where gunmen fired on a helicopter transporting US soldiers on Basilan.

"There is an operation going on," Major Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said an undetermined number of militants were believed killed in the fighting. "We don't have body counts but we believed many gunmen were either killed of wounded in the clash," he said.

The town's mayor Joel Maturan said militants, backed by rogue members of the country's largest Muslim rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, aided the Abu Sayyaf in attacking marines in the area.

"The Abu Sayyaf and the lost-command group of the MILF attacked the marines and fighting was really intense," he said.

It was unknown how many villagers have fled the town for fear that the fighting would escalate into a bigger war.

On Tuesday, gunmen straffed a helicopter carrying American soldiers near the town. A small contingent of US troops are deployed in Basilan to aide Filipino troops in defeating the Abu Sayyaf, tagged as international terrorist group by Washington. (Mindanao Examiner)

US Chopper Attacked In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 18, 2007) – A helicopter transporting US soldiers came under fire while flying over the southern Philippine island of Basilan, where local security forces are battling Abu Sayyaf militants, officials said on Tuesday.

"The chopper was hit by hostile fire. We still don't know if there are casualties," Mayor Joel Maturan, of Unkaya Pukan town, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Fighting was raging on Tuesday in the town where suspected militants attacked government soldiers, he said. "The fighting is intense," he said without elaborating further.

Major Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman, said the attack on the chopper occurred on Monday and that one passenger was injured after debris hit him.

"A civilian helicopter conducting a routine support and logistics flight with the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines was hit by small-arms fire over Basilan island."

"The helicopter landed at the airfield in Zamboanga without difficulty. One individual aboard suffered minor injuries from flying debris. All personnel are safe and accounted for," he said.

Maturan said the fighting erupted Tuesday after Abu Sayyaf gunmen, backed by rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), attacked government soldiers in Ungkaya Pukan.

"We still don't know if there are casualties from both sides," he said. Troops were pursuing the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan island, blamed for killing more than two dozen soldiers in sporadic clashes the past months.

A small contingent of US troops is deployed in Basilan to help Filipino troops defeat terrorism. The Abu Sayyaf is included in the US list of international terrorist groups and Washington offered as much as five million dollars for the capture of the group's known leaders. (Mindanao Examiner)

Elite Army Forces Hunt Down Sayyaf In South RP

BASILAN ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 2 Aug) – Army forces on Monday pursued Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for the wounding of two soldiers in a clash in the southern Filipino island of Basilan, a military spokesman said.

“Scout Rangers and Special Forces are pursuing the terrorists in Basilan. The order is to get the Abu Sayyaf rain or shine and we will get them,” Army Major Eugene Batara said told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said two soldiers were wounded in fighting late Sunday in Basilan’s Ungkaya Pukan town. There were no reports of Abu Sayyaf casualties, he said.

Fifteen soldiers were killed also in the same town on Aug. 18 after Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, ambushed them.

The fighting in Basilan began July 10 after the Abu Sayyaf and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front where implicated in an ambush that left 14 Marines dead in Al-Barka town.

The soldiers strayed into an MILF territory in search for Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who is wanted both by the Philippines and United States for kidnapping four American citizens, two of them were later killed.

Security officials previously said that troops were searching for a kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi who was not in Basilan, but in Lanao del Norte province.

The Abu Sayyaf is on the U.S. terrorist lists and Washington offered up to $5 million dollars bounty for the capture of Hapilon and other known terror leaders.

Philippine authorities also put up a P100 million rewards for capture dead of alive of Abu Sayyaf leaders.

A bomb blast last week in Zamboanga City left at least 14 people wounded and that attack was also blamed to the Abu Sayyaf group.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, Filipino troops, backed by U.S. intelligence, are also tracking down several Jemaah Islamiya bombers, including Indonesians Dulmatin and Umar Patek and Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir hiding in southern Philippines.

President Gloria Arroyo ordered the military to destroy the Abu Sayyaf and their allies. Moro rebels were said to be aiding the Abu Sayyaf, the military said. (Mindanao Examiner)

5 Sayyaf Militants Capured In Southern Philippines

Families and relatives of slain troops gather Sunday Aug. 19, 2007 at a chapel inside a Philippine Marines base in Zamboanga City. Fifteen soldiers were killed in fierce fighting with Abu Sayyaf gunmen in Basilan island on Saturday. The military says more than 30 gunmen were also killed in the fighting in Ungkaya Pukan town on the island, where a Philippine Air Force MG-520 attack copter crashed also killing its pilot. President Gloria Arroyo ordered a renewed offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group blamed for the killing of dozens of troops since last month in Basilan and Jolo islands. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 19 Aug) – Philippine troops swooped down Sunday on an Abu Sayyaf hideout and arrested 5 suspected militants in the southern island of Jolo, officials said.

Officials said the five were being interrogated after soldiers seized four automatic weapons in their hideout in Indanan town. It was unknown whether the men were involved in the killing of 27 soldiers this month in Jolo island.

Troops were also pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants in the neighboring island of Basilan, where 15 Marines were killed and 17 others injured in fierce battle in Ungkaya Pukan town. A Philippine Air Force MG520 attack helicopter also crashed Saturday near the town, killing a pilot and seriously injuring the second pilot.

“There have been no reports of armed clashes in Basilan, but our forces are tracking down the Abu Sayyaf responsible in the killing of the Marines,” Maj. Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman, told the Mindanao Examiner.

The bodies of those killed were brought to a small Catholic chapel inside a marine base in Zamboanga City, where families and relatives gathered. The wounded were at a military hospital in Zamboanga City. Their conditions were unknown and journalists had been barred near the hospital.

“It is off limits to the media. We have an order not to allow journalists in the hospital,” one military nurse said.

In Basilan, soldiers pounded with canons suspected Abu Sayyaf strongholds on the island to flush the gunmen out in the open.

About 5,000 soldiers are on the island, south of Zamboanga City, and pursuing the Abu Sayyaf, blamed by Manila for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings of foreigners in the troubled region.

The United States, which has sent hundreds of soldiers to help Philippine troops defeat terrorism, offered as much as $5 million reward for the heads of known Abu Sayyaf leaders.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, Washington also put up a huge bounty for the capture of Jemaah Islamiya militants Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who are being protected by the Abu Sayyaf and Moro National Liberation Front insurgents in Jolo island.

The U.S. offered up to $10 million reward for Dulmatin’s capture and another $1 million for Patek, both Indonesians were tagged as behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 mostly foreign tourists, including 88 Australians.

President Gloria Arroyo ordered security forces to destroy the terrorists and bring peace in the volatile, but mineral-rich southern region of Mindanao.

(Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Combat Chopper Crashes In Basilan Island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 18 Aug) – A Philippine combat chopper crashed Saturday in the southern island of Basilan, where security forces are fighting Abu Sayyaf militants.

One pilot was killed and troops rescued the second pilot near Ungkaya Pukan town where the aircraft, an MG520, had been providing cover for security forces.
It was unknown whether the chopper was hit with enemy fire or not.

At least 15 soldiers and dozens of Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in fierce fighting in the town. As many as 17 soldiers were also wounded in the clashes after security forces assaulted an Abu Sayyaf encampment in the town.

Five of those killed were marine officers. (Mindanao Examiner)

15 Marines Killed In Southern Philippine Island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 18 Aug) – At least 15 soldiers and dozens of Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in fierce fighting Saturday in the southern Philippine island of Basilan, officials said.

As many as 17 soldiers were also wounded in the fighting that erupted in the remote town of Ungkaya Pukan after security forces assaulted an Abu Sayyaf encampment, military officials in Zamboanga City said.

Five of those killed were marine officers.

Troops recovered 7 bodies of militants, including that of Puruji Indama who was believed involved in the beheading of 10 Marines in firefight July 10 in Basilan’s Al-Barka town.

Other reports said as many as 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed, but this could not be independently confirmed.

Maj. Eugene Batara, a regional military spokesman, said there could be more enemy casualties, but the Abu Sayyaf may have taken away their dead.

The fighting was so intense that soldiers fought the Abu Sayyaf in close-quarter battle.

The slain soldiers were under the Joint Task Force Thunder, tasked to pursue the Abu Sayyaf and Moro rebels implicated in the beheading of soldiers in Al-Barka.

Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, fled to Basilan island to oversee the operation against the Abu Sayyaf.

The Philippine military is fighting two fronts in the troubled south, one in Basilan island and another in Jolo island, where 27 soldiers were also killed by Abu Sayyaf gunmen and Moro National Liberation Front insurgents in fighting last week.

President Gloria Arroyo last month ordered security forces to intensify the hunt for the Abu Sayyaf and insurgents in Basilan and Jolo islands. (Mindanao Examiner)

RP Troops Pursue Sayyaf Militants In Basilan Island

Coconut farmers sitting on top of bags of copra look at a government soldier patrolling the southern Philippine island of Basilan, where security forces clashed with Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for the beheading of ten of 14 Marines in Al-Barka town on July 10. Troops are backing police forces in the hunt for more than 130 Moro rebels implicated in the grisly killings. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 07 Aug) – Marines on Tuesday were pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants tied to al-Qaeda after a firefight in the southern Filipino island of Basilan.

More than 3,000 soldiers are on the island, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, to pursue about 130 Moro rebels charged for beheading ten of 14 Marines killed in fierce clashes July 10 in Al-Barka, a mountain town southeast of Basilan.

Officials said Tuesday’s operation yielded negative results, but troops continue searching for gunmen in Basilan’s treacherous jungle terrain.

Government soldiers clashed Monday with some 50 Abu Sayyaf fighters, backed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, said Joel Maturan, the mayor of Ungkaya Pukan.

Security officials said the fighting erupted in the hinterland village of Sungkayat in Ungkaya Pukan town after marine soldiers attacked the hideout of the militant group.

But the mayor said gunmen attacked the soldiers, sparking a 15-minute firefight.
“Patrolling soldiers were harassed by the Abu Sayyaf and MILF rebels, about 50 of them. There were no reports of casualties,” he said.

The military said troops clashed with the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Indama Puruji, who was implicated in the beheading of the soldiers.

The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, denied beheading the soldiers and pointed to the Abu Sayyaf as behind the gruesome killings.

Police filed murder charges against 130 mostly MILF rebels and the military threatened to launch punitive action if the group do not surrender the murders.

Social welfare officials said more than 6,900 villagers have fled their homes since last month for fear they would be trapped if fighting erupts in Basilan island.

Many of those who fled have sought refuge from relatives, but local politicians insist they were refugees and asked Manila for funds to help them feed the evacuees.

Defense officials on Monday met behind closed door with the mayors and governors of Basilan and Jolo islands inside a military base in Zamboanga City to plan about helping those who fled their villages.

President Gloria Arroyo on Monday also sent a team of medical doctors to Basilan island to help the evacuees, but warned rebels not to harm them.

The MILF is the largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Fighting Erupts In Basilan Island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Aug) – Filipino soldiers clashed Monday with Abu Sayyaf militants, tagged as behind the beheading of ten Marines in the southern island of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said the fighting erupted in the hinterland village of Sungkayat in Ungkaya Pukan town after marine soldiers attacked the hideout of the militant group tied to al-Qaeda.

The fighting lasted for 15 minutes, but sporadic clashes were reported later in the day. There were no immediate reports of casualties, officials said.

Officials said troops, from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8, clashed with the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Indama Puruji, who was implicated in the beheading of the soldiers, who were among 14 killed in fierce fighting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) July 10 in the town of Al-Barka.

The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, denied beheading the soldiers and pointed to the Abu Sayyaf as behind the gruesome killings.

Police filed murder charges against 130 mostly MILF rebels and the military threatened to launch punitive action if the group do not surrender the murders.

Some 3,000 soldiers are backing 300 policemen in serving the arrest warrants, but the MILF said it would not yield any of its members and insisted the fighting was a legitimate encounter after the marines entered a rebel territory.

More than 6,900 people, mostly Muslims, fled their homes since last month for fear they would be trapped if fighting erupts in Basilan island.

Defense officials on Monday met behind closed door with the mayors and governors of Basilan and Jolo islands inside a military base in Zamboanga City to plan about helping those who fled their villages.

President Gloria Arroyo sent a team of medical doctors to Basilan island to help the evacuees, but warned rebels not to harm them.

“Harm them and Hades will come to you,” Arroyo said in Manila.

In Greek mythology, Hades, god of the dead, was a fearsome figure to those who are still living and simply to say the word “Hades” was frightening.

”These medical professionals are on a mission of compassion. They will treat people whose lives you have worsened by your belligerence when the peace we have pursued would have allowed them to join the rest of the nation in productive pursuits,” she said, referring to Moro rebels.

The MILF is the largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (Mark Navales and Juan Magtanggol)