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Philippine Troops Seize Terrorist Training Camp in Southern Island
Government troops hunting suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines have overrun their jungle camp but the rebels escaped, the military said yesterday. The camp, near the town of Indanan on the southern island of Jolo, was believed to have been used for training in bomb-making by members of Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The explosive-making facility overrun by the ground troops is said to be the place where the JI militants teach the Abu Sayyaf members how to build and create improvised explosive devices, Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, the military commander in Jolo, said in a statement. The military said the camp, in the foothills of Mount Bud Kapok, contained fortified bunkers and ground shelters. Filipino soldiers, backed by US intelligence and equipment, have reported killing 12 Abu Sayyaf members since fighting in Jolo began on Tuesday, army Maj. Mabini Abduhadi told a news conference in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines. He said the bodies of five of the dead had been recovered. On Friday, Aleo said six Abu Sayyaf members were wounded, seven captured in ground and air assaults on Jolo since Tuesday, with seven soldiers wounded. Hundreds of villagers have fled the fighting. Posted by: Fred 2006-08-06 |
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