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Thousands flee as fighting spreads across southern Philippines
Fighting between Philippine troops and suspected members of an al Qaeda-linked militant group spread to other areas of the southwestern island of Jolo, an army spokesman said on Monday, as fresh casualties were reported.Colonel Domingo Tutaan, a spokesman for the army's Southern Command, said Muslim rebels from the Abu Sayyaf group attacked a military detachment in another part of Jolo, firing several mortar rounds at marines based in Panamao town. "This seems to be a diversionary attack to ease pressure on their colleagues in Indanan town," Tutaan told reporters, adding one soldier was wounded in the latest attack. Fighting in the town of Indanan erupted on Friday when soldiers on a mission to find and capture a one-armed, horse-riding Abu Sayyaf commander ran into a large group of militants near a rebel hideout. On Sunday, the army said four soldiers had been killed and 22 wounded in battles in three villages around Indanan. Nineteen suspected militants were reported killed by the army but only three bodies were found at the scene. Tutaan said there was no accurate tally of rebel casualties due to heavy fighting, but other military officials estimated about 25 rebels could have died in an artillery attack. It was not possible to independently confirm the rebel or military casualties. "It would be impossible to determine the actual casualties," said an army ground commander. "By tradition, Muslims bury their dead within 24 hours." The military said thousands of residents in the three villages had fled the fighting. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-11-14 |
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