RP guerriallas have foreign links: Ramos
RP guerriallas have foreign links: Ramos
IPIL, Philippines (Reuter): President Fidel Ramos yesterday
linked foreign extremist groups to Moslem guerrillas who
massacred 53 people in a raid on this southern Philippines town.
"We see a definite connection between the Abu Sayyaf (and)
international terrorist groups," he told a news conference after
touring the fire-ravaged commercial center of Ipil town, which
was attacked by a 200-man rebel band on Tuesday.
Ramos flew to Mindanao yesterday, walked past the ruins of
Ipil and doled out relief cheques as he ordered the military to
"go get those terrorists."
As he toured Ipil, fighting between government forces and
rebels of the Abu Sayyaf group erupted for the third day running
in a mountainous town about 50 km (31 miles) away from Ipil.
The military has been investigating the links between the Abu
Sayyaf and extremist movements all over the world.
"It is validated by the fact that Ramzi Yousef visited Basilan
twice," Police General Job Mayo said in a television interview in
Manila.
Basilan is a southern island province known as a lair of the
Abu Sayyaf, blamed for a wave of killings and kidnappings in
Mindanao the past two years.
Yousef is facing trial in the United States as the alleged
mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed
six people and injured about 1,000.
Local police said Yousef belonged to the same group as six
Moslem guerrillas arrested in Manila last week for illegal
possession of guns and explosives.
At least 53 were killed and 67 injured in the attack on Ipil,
Zamboanga del Sur province, 780 km (490 miles) south of Manila,
in the most serious violence for 20 years in the country's Moslem
insurgency.
The military have said they killed 17 rebels in pursuit
operations around Ipil after remnants of the 200-man band fled,
grabbing civilians as human shields along the way. Five hostages
were killed in the crossfire.
A military officer told journalists he believed nine more
guerrillas were killed in fresh fighting in a mountain village
yesterday.
Ramos announced aid for Ipil and other communities in
Zamboanga del Sur affected by fighting.
He gave out 46 million pesos (US$1.8 million) to be used to
rebuild the town and create new jobs for some 50,000 people
affected by fighting.
Some of the thousands who welcomed him remained fearful. "We
are afraid they will come back again. There are rumors that they
will be coming back," said housewife Fe Santuyo.
One group held placards as Ramos passed. "If you cannot
protect us, arm us. If you cannot arm us, pray for us," one read.
"We wish to live. Ramos save us from hell," said another.