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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf under pressure |
| 2009-08-16 |
| [Straits Times] PHILIPPINE President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military on Saturday to intensify offensives against Abu Sayyaf guerrillas after honoring 23 troops killed in a recent gunbattle to capture camps from the al-Qaida-linked militants, an official said. Arroyo embraced weeping wives and family members of the slain troops, whose bodies are lying in state at a military camp gymnasium in the southern port city of Zamboanga. She also gave Merit Medals to the marines and soldiers, who were killed when troops assaulted and captured two Abu Sayyaf camps on Wednesday on the southern island province of Basilan, said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. He said 31 militants were killed, and 22 government troops were wounded in their deadliest clash in years. Arroyo promised 250,000 pesos ($5,200) in financial aid to each family, as well as jobs for the widows and scholarships for their children, he said. She also visited wounded soldiers at a military hospital before calling her military commanders to a meeting. Teodoro told reporters that Arroyo ordered commanders to 'rapidly conclude the war and annihilate the ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) in Basilan.' The Abu Sayyaf is on a US list of terrorist organizations and is suspected of having received funds and training from al-Qaida. Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar said more than 1,300 families fled their homes near the fighting and many more had been displaced by the Abu Sayyaf, who ordered villagers to leave days before the military assault. More than 400 marines, army and police commandos stormed the hilltop camps on Basilan, targeting about 150 Abu Sayyaf militants led by two terror suspects wanted for a series of bomb attacks and kidnappings. Teodoro said the two camps served as a stronghold and a bomb factory for the Abu Sayyaf on Basilan, about 880 kilometers south of Manila. Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, the Basilan marine commander, said troops were pursuing the militants and will continue operations 'to once and for all flush out the remaining terrorist elements in the province.' Although weakened by yearslong US-backed offensives, about 400 Abu Sayyaf gunmen on Basilan and nearby Jolo Island and the Zamboanga peninsula have recently turned to ransom kidnappings to raise funds for terror attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Silly Besoeker! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-08-16 21:52 |
| #3 #2 Well, yeah... going after groups on the south is always a electorate-pleaser. Of course nothing will be done to the communist forces in the north. Posted by Pappy Oh, you're talking about the 'PHILIPPINES.' That'll cure me of reading the cmts first. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-08-16 13:17 |
| #2 Well, yeah... going after groups on the south is always a electorate-pleaser. Of course nothing will be done to the communist forces in the north. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-08-16 13:00 |
| #1 PHILIPPINE President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military on Saturday to intensify offensives against Abu Sayyaf Must be election time on the Philippines again. And Arroyo is again posing to be 'drafted into office'..... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-08-16 12:08 |