U.S. soldier shot Filipino

U.S. soldier shot Filipino

PHILIPPINES: A military spokesman in the southern Philippines on
Saturday shrugged off as "propaganda" reports that a U.S. soldier
taking part in joint operations with local troops had shot and
wounded a Filipino man.

Around 1,000 American troops are taking part in the operation
against Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines but they are
only allowed to fire back in self-defense and are barred from
direct combat.

Leftist groups including two congressmen said "an African-
American soldier" shot and wounded Buyong Buyong Isnijal, a
resident of the strife-torn island of Basilan on July 25.

Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza, members of the lower house of
Congress for the Bayan (New Nationalist Alliance) leftist
coalition, said Filipino soldiers who accompanied the American
then took Isnijal into captivity for undisclosed reasons.

But Colonel Fredesvindo Covarrubias, spokesman for Philippine
military forces in the south, dismissed the claim. -- AFP