Philippine troops kill 15 Abu Sayyaf rebels
Philippine troops kill 15 Abu Sayyaf rebels
Agence-France-Presse, Zamboanga
Fifteen Abu Sayyaf guerrillas were killed on Sunday while 10
soldiers were wounded in a fierce firefight in the southern
Philippine island of Basilan, military officials said.
Fighting erupted shortly before noon when police and military
forces were alerted by reports that Abu Sayyaf gunmen who
attacked Basilan's capital of Isabela on Thursday had holed up in
Balatanay village, about seven kilometers to the west and
bordering the town of Lantawan.
Responding government forces were met with gunfire from the
rebels, triggering intense fighting.
The rebels were quickly reinforced by their comrades, as the
fighting spread to the town of Lantawan.
Col. Hermogenes Esperon, commander of a military task-force in
Basilan, described the fighting as "fierce" and that intercepted
radio communications from the rebels indicated they suffered
heavy casualties.
Military southern command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu told
Manila reporters in a telephone interview said two OV-10 bombers
and two MG-520 attack helicopters were dispatched to pound rebel
positions.
He said 15 rebels were killed, while 10 soldiers were wounded.
Several rebel firearms were also recovered.
"Those are the figures we have received from the field and are
subject to verification," Cimatu said.
He said the rebel unit was believed to under the command of
Khadaffy Janjalani, the elusive Abu Sayyaf chief holding two
American and 16 Filipino hostages in Basilan's jungles.
Police said the Abu Sayyaf members encountered in Balantay
were the same rebels who attacked Isabela on Thursday night with
rounds of mortar fire. Three civilians were injured in the blasts
and a soldier was wounded in an ensuring gunfire.
Officials said the Thursday attack was launched to divert
military attention from another Abu Sayyaf unit holding the
hostages.
About 5,000 soldiers have been dispatched in Basilan to rescue
the captives and crush the rebels, a small group of Islamic
fighters believed to have links with Saudi dissident Osama bin
Laden.
"There are no sightings of the hostages but we believe they
were the rebel force because (they) could not leave the area. We
got them cornered," Cimatu said.
Military officials meanwhile said U.S. embassy staff were
scheduled to arrive later Sunday in southern Zamboanga city to
retrieve skeletal remains recovered by soldiers last week for
identification.
The remains are believed to belong to Guillermo Sobero, one of
the three American hostages whom the Abu Sayyaf claimed to have
executed as an "independence day" gift to the Philippine
government in June.
The bones were recovered in a shallow grave in a Basilan
forest after a captured rebel who claimed to have taken part in
the execution led troops to the area. The pile of bones were
without a skull, apparently confirming rebel claims that Sobero
had been beheaded.
Military officials said DNA testing on the bones was to be
carried out to determine whether they belonged to Sobero.
Officials earlier said relatives of Sobero were to accompany
the embassy staff, but later corrected the report.
National Security Adviser Roilo Golez in Manila cautioned
against coming to hasty conclusions, saying the remains were
still "subject to verification."