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| Southeast Asia |
| Hunting Janjalani, Filippino troops clash with MILF, MNLF |
| 2005-09-02 |
| Government troops who are tasked to seek and destroy remnants of the Abu Sayyaf group under Khadaffy Janjalani in Maguindanao clashed with Muslim rebels in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town before dawn on Thursday. The encounter happened at 5:30 a.m. when troops from the Armyâs 6th Infantry Division and the police Special Action Force (SAF) clashed with some 300 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters led by commander Wahid. One Army trooper was injured in the said clash. âBefore the encounter, Janjalani and at least three JI companions were sighted in the area,â military spokesperson Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual said. Pascual described the clash as a âmisencounter,â as he noted that the MILF has so far been âvery cooperativeâ in pursuit operations against the elusive Abu Sayyaf chieftain. The wounded soldier was identified as Sgt. Jimy Coronel from the 64th Infantry Battalion. Army spokesperson Maj. Bartolome Bacarro, who was in Nueva Ecija, said the MILF suffered an undetermined number of injuries. Army 6th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala said security forces coordinated with the MILF leadership before troops were dispatched to the area. âWe did not know that the MILF had not left the area,â Dema-ala said, adding it was only until the International Monitoring Team (IMT) called up both the Army and the MILF that the intermittent firing ceased. â[Thatâs] part of the combat chaos, when you are on the ground, when you see [an] armed group, your tendency is to fight them, to defend, protect yourself,â he said. When asked if the MILF is coddling Janjalaniâs group, Pascual said: âI cannot answer that. I have no information.â The military has been chasing Janjalaniâs group in Maguindanao province since July. The Abu Sayyaf is being blamed for the ferry bombing in Basilan island last Sunday, which left 30 people injured. Meanwhile, Muslim rebels clashed with a group of local politicians and their security escorts also in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town yesterday. No casualties have so far been reported in the encounter between MNLF fighters and the group of Datu Piang Vice Mayor Genuine Kamaong and Board Member Datu Wala Adzis in Bangket village at 6:05 a.m., initial reports said. The MNLF insurgents, led by Commander Mando Tambungalan, were later augmented by MILF rebels led by Ebrahim Makalampan alias Commander Talyo. The firefight is still ongoing as of press time, reports said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 The MILF is cooperative as long as the Army does not find them. Then well, the Army has to fight the MILF to get at KJ. Just get past it and attack through the MILF. Kill them all so the only MILF are the female type! |
| Posted by: 49 pan 2005-09-02 23:09 |