Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Military sends more troops to Sulu despite Ramadan
THE military has deployed additional elite soldiers to the jungles of Sulu to help neutralize Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and his two Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cohorts even as it rejected calls to stop the offensive in view of the observance of Ramadan by Muslims in the Philippines.
Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon expressed optimism that the deployment of the fresh troops from the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR) would hasten the accomplishment of their objective in Sulu.
Esperon said the additional company-size troops, numbering around 120 men, arrived Sunday night from Davao City to augment at least 6,000 troops already in place in Sulu. "We have added another company of Rangers (in Sulu)," he said.
"This (deployment) will help. They (fresh troops) can help because you all know that there are unique skills that the Rangers offer, together with the Marines, LRC (Light Reaction Company) as well as the infantry and all other units there," he said.
"I'm sure there this (deployment) will help," said Esperon. The military has been pursuing the group of Janjalani in the outskirts of Patikul and Indanan towns since August 1 under an operation plan dubbed as "Oplan Ultimatum."
On calls by some Muslim groups to suspend the ongoing operations in view of the Ramadan, the Mulims' month-long holy celebration that started last Saturday, Esperon said the military operations will not be hampered by the event.
"The offensive in Jolo will go on," said Esperon, who held a dialogue with local government and residents in Sulu about two weeks ago that the military is firm in its stand to continue the offensive despite the observance of Ramadan.
"It (operations) will continue. You know terrorism doesn't respect any religion, they (Abu Sayyaf) are not saying they are not going to terrorize...We can fully celebrate it (Ramadan) while we (military) go on operations," he said.
But Esperon said the military will try to refrain from employing artillery fires that produce loud sounds during Ramadan. "As much as possible, there will be no artillery fires," he said.
On the purported death of al-Qaeda network leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan due to typhoid fever, Esperon said: "If that is true, he is only one person. There are other cells or disciples who are around the globe."
As far as they are concerned, Esperon said the military is undertaking efforts to get the two high-profile JI operatives operating in the country - Dulmatin and Patek who are believed in the Janjalani in Sulu.
Dulmatin and Patek are tagged by security officials as those responsible for the October 2002 deadly bombings in Bali, Indonesia which resulted in the killing of over 200 people and wounding of hundreds of others. (VR/Sunnex)
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