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Saturday, April 10, 2004
Army steps up operations after killing Sayyaf leader
ISABELA -- The Army has stepped up operations in case of attacks in retaliation for the killing Thursday of a senior leader of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group.
Southern military chief Lieutenant Gen. Roy Kyamco visited Basilan, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, to award soldiers who killed the Moro rebel groups' number three leader, Hamsiraji Sali, and five other members Thursday.
Basilan army chief Col. Raymundo Ferrer said the army boosted security as Abu Sayyaf supporters could be planning to avenge the death of their leader.
"We have intensified our territorial defense system around Basilan," Ferrer said.
In the past, the Abu Sayyaf staged bombings and kidnappings after clashes with the military -- both as a show of strength and in retaliation for government pursuit of their forces.
Sali, his brother Tahir, and four other Abu Sayyaf members were killed in a clash with elite Scout Ranger forces in the outskirts of the Basilan capital of Isabela.
Four soldiers were wounded in the battle and two died of injuries, Ferrer said.
Sali is believed to have taken part in numerous abductions and killings, including the kidnapping of three Americans and a group of Filipinos from a resort in 2001.
One of the Americans was later beheaded while another was killed in a rescue operation that recovered the third hostage.
The United States placed a price of up to $5 million on the heads of Sali and other Abu Sayyaf leaders. Washington and Manila have linked the Abu Sayyaf to the Al-Qaeda network of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.
The Abu Sayyaf's two most senior leaders, Khadaffy Janjalani and Isnilon Hapilon, are still at large.
Six suspected Abu Sayyaf members were arrested in Manila last month for allegedly planning a "Madrid-level" series of bombings targeting shopping malls and railways. AFP
(April 10, 2004 issue)
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