Posted on 09/05/2006 6:06:08 PM PDT by ChristianDefender
At least 30 Abu Sayyaf militants were killed by soldiers in fierce fighting in the southern island of Jolo, where security forces are tracking down two Jemaah Islamiya terrorists blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings, the military said Tuesday.
Army Major General Eugenio Cedo, regional military commander, said troops were pursuing an estimated 100 Abu Sayyaf militants who broke into smaller groups in the hinterland of Patikul town, where six soldiers were killed and 19 others were wounded on Monday. "There is pursuit operation and we will not relent until the terrorists are neutralized," Cedo said.
The bodies of six soldiers were brought to Zamboanga City on Tuesday, where grieving relatives were waiting. One of three soldiers who survived the fighting on Monday claimed as many as 30 Abu Sayyafs were killed in the clashes in the mountain village of Tugas.
"We counted as many as 30 dead Abu Sayyafs. Every grenade we used had blasted five or more terrorists. One Abu Sayyaf in an intercepted radio message told the others that he had 10 dead with him," the soldier claimed, describing the fighting as fierce. "I remember telling the soldiers to fire at will and kill as many Abu Sayyaf as they could. Hell was right there," he said.
The wounded soldiers were at a military hospital in Zamboanga City, he said. "They are all okay and are now being treated at the hospital. They were hit with M14s and shrapnel from grenades fired by the terrorists," he said.
Cedo said troops were pursuing Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who were with the group of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadafy Janjalani and Radulan Sahiron.
"All forces are now on the ground and with one mission and that is to destroy the terrorists. There will be no let-up in the campaign against the terrorists. We will not rest until we neutralize the terrorists and bring back peace to the province," Cedo said.
Last month, soldiers also clashed with the Abu Sayyaf under Khadaffy Janjalani in Patikul town and recovered Dulmatin's tools in manufacturing bombs, including remote-controlled detonators and other electronic gadgets.
The Philippine military said the Abu Sayyaf was protecting Dulmatin and Patek in Sulu province, about 950 kilometers south of Manila. A small group of US soldiers involved in training Filipino troops were helping the local military in the hunt for Janjalani and Dulmatin and Patek.
The United States offered as much as $10 million bounty for Dulmatin and $1 million for Patek's capture and another $5 million for known Abu Sayyaf leaders, including Khadaffy Janjalani, its chieftain. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also put up P100 million rewards for the capture of the group's leaders and their members dead or alive.
Good job... They seem to have applied the most effective and conventional way to deal with stupid muzzies... Filipino marines are doing well.
Yeah... along with ACLU..
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