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| Southeast Asia | |
| Top terrorists escape Philippines raid | |
| 2007-04-09 | |
Manila (BangkokPost.com from agencies) - Three of Southeast Asia's most wanted terror operatives evaded capture Monday when Philippine troops raided the camp of an al-Qaeda linked group on southern Jolo island. Indonesian nationals Dulmatin and Umar Patek, alleged bombmakers for the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group responsible for the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, evaded the early morning firefight, as did Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.
On Monday, a Philippine army unit trained by the US military raided an Abu Sayyaf camp early Monday, local army commander Brigadier General Ruperto Pabustan said. "Three Abu Sayyaf members were captured after a brief firefight," Pabustan said, but added the "high value targets - Dulmatin and Patek - escaped." "Pursuit operations are continuing," he said. On Sunday, nine soldiers and civilians were killed when Abu Sayyaf militants attacked an army base on Jolo. More than 8,000 Filipino troops are on Jolo on instructions from President Gloria Arroyo to crush the Abu Sayyaf, a small gang of self-styled Islamic militants who experts say once received funding from Al-Qaeda. The Abu Sayyaf group has been blamed for a series of bomb attacks in the Philippines in recent years, as well as for high-profile kidnappings of foreigners and missionaries. Since the military operation on Jolo began last September the group's top two leaders have been killed and the remaining members, said to number around 400, have splintered into smaller units trying to evade government forces. Isnilon Hapilon is among the last few senior Abu Sayyaf leaders trying to assert overall command over the group. The US government has offered up to $5 million for his arrest. | |
| Posted by:Steve |