|
One Army battalion going after each Abu Sayyaf leader
[PHILSTAR] The military forces have matched each sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder... Group with a battalions of troops after the rebels splintered into factions to escape, an official said on Monday. Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., front man of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the manhunt operations are occuring alongside offensive to crush the murderous Moslems, who have been blamed for the spate of recent kidnappings and beheadings. "Each battalion is running after different group leaders and the operations there go simultaneously. It's relentless. It's just a matter of time as kung sino and makabunggo agad," Tan told newsmen here. At least two military brigades with more than 10 battalions have been combing the jungles while additional forces are arriving in Sulu, Tan said. He said additional three more battalions of troops are on their way to Sulu. The troops are scattered at certain target areas to look for top Abu Sayyaf men, including big shots Radulan Sahiron and Alhabsy Misaya. "The landscape (in Sulu) now, the Abu Sayyaf group splintered. Their purpose is to evade so that they cannot be traced," Tan said. The military official said there is a possibility the Abu Sayyaf would be blending in with the civilian populace to escape. The military official also said they will not hesitate to utilize batteries of cannons if there are areas that could be reached and if ground intelligence reports could confirm the presence of the Abu Sayyaf. "If there is positive confirmation it will be bombarded with cannons as troops go along with the operation," Tan said. Posted by: Fred 2016-09-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=466804 |