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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf ambushes Filippino troops |
| 2005-11-21 |
| AT LEAST 2 government soldiers were wounded in an ambush Monday by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu province in the southern Philippines, officials said. Officials said the soldiers were on a motorcycle and on their way to the market when gunmen attacked them around 10 a.m. in the village of Dayuan in the town of Maimbung, Sulu. The wounded soldiers managed to fire back at the attackers, who retreated to the hinterlands, said Major Gamal Hayudini, the Southern Command information chief. "Troops are now tracking the ambushers, believed to be the group of Sayyaf leader Albader Parad," he said. The motive of the attack was still unknown, but security forces were battling Abu Sayyaf militants in the towns of Indanan and Panamao on the other side of the island. Although there have been no reports of major clashes the past three days, troops continue to hunt down about 200 Abu Sayyaf gunmen now scattered in Jolo's mountain areas, where Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels are known to operate. Fierce fighting between security forces and Abu Sayyaf militants have subsided in many parts of the two towns, Hayudini said. "There is a relative peace now, but the operation still continues against the Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups that are supporting the terrorists," he said. The fighting was triggered by an Abu Sayyaf attack on a military post on November 11 in Indanan and the hostilities spread to many villages. Jolo military chief Brigadier General Alexander Aleo accused the MNLF rebels of coddling Abu Sayyaf members and in many instances fighting alongside with them. He said MNLF leaders Khaid Ajibun and Haber Malik were aiding the Abu Sayyaf group. But Malik denied the accusation and said troops were attacking their positions in Jolo island. Aleo said 4 soldiers and dozens of Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in the fighting since last week and at least 22 soldiers were also wounded in the clashes. The military blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the series of bombings and killings in the southern region. Aleo said security forces were pursuing Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad, Umbra Jumdail Gumbahali and Radulan Sahiron, all included in Washington's and Manila's terror lists. A military report said Gumbahali was shot on the leg in previous clashes with troops. Social workers and volunteers continue to help thousands of people displaced by the hostilities. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Zamboanga City sent relief aid to Jolo, about 950 kilometers south of Manila, to help feed the refugees now sheltered in abandoned school and government buildings. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |