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Friday, August 04, 2006
Guerrilla commander's son among 3 rebels killed in military offensive (1:00 p.m.)
MANILA -- The son of a senior Abu Sayyaf commander was among three Muslim rebels killed in a US-backed Philippine offensive, but the troops are still looking for two terror suspects wanted in the 2002 Bali bombings, officials said Friday.
Ismin Sahiron, son of Radullan Sahiron, a one-armed Abu Sayyaf commander, was killed in the four-day-old offensive in the jungles of Jolo Island, said Colonel Mohammad Nur Askalani, acting chief of staff of the military's Southern Command.
The offensive targeted the top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaida-linked group notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and bomb attacks, and two Indonesians from the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah who are wanted for their alleged roles in the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia that killed 202 people.
Dulmatin, who goes by one name, and Umar Patek, were seen on Jolo recently with Abu Sayyaf leaders and about 200 guerrillas, prompting the military to launch ground and air assaults.
The top Abu Sayyaf leaders sighted on Jolo included elusive chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani and Sahiron.
US troops, who are stationed on Jolo as part of counterterrorism assistance that's focused on humanitarian work, were providing intelligence and communications support, US and Philippine officials said.
After firing rockets from helicopter gunships, Philippine troops Thursday pounded the rebels with artillery after they were seen moving on Mt. Tumatangis, near Indanan town, an extremist bastion, Askalani said.
"They were hit by artillery briefly to determine their possible reaction," he told The Associated Press. "After the bombardment, silence."
He said there has been no contact with the rebels since.
Officials said about 200 guerrillas were "contained" in the vicinity of Indanan, sometimes splitting into smaller groups to elude troops.
"We are now studying the situation on the ground," Askalani said. "They are moving around and they are sometimes moving from behind us, like in hide-and-seek."'
The operation was aided by Filipino informants, including members of a former rebel group now cooperating with the government, and by technical assistance from the US military, Askalani said.
Officials have said the offensive has killed at least three guerrillas and wounded two others, while five soldiers have been wounded.
But Askalani said that during his visit to Indanan, military sources could only confirm the killing of Ismin Sahiron, who like his father, had an amputated arm. Other officials said three rebels were killed, and it wasn't clear why the discrepancy existed. (AP) |
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