Sunday, September 10, 2006
'Bandit group' splits: Marine general (10:30 p.m.)
MANILA -- A marine official said Sunday the 200-man group of Abu Sayyaf led by Khadaffy Janjalani has splintered into several troops in their attempt to evade thousands of pursuing government forces in Sulu.
Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, commander of the Third Marine Brigade, said the development has brought difficulty for the troops tracking down and neutralizing Janjalani and his two Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cohorts - Dulmatin and Omar Patek.
"Their (Janjalani's) group is no longer that big anymore, they are now splintered into smaller groups. Their purpose is to avoid detection," Sabban said in an interview over the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN).
At least six Marine battalions attached under Sabban's brigade are leading the offensive against the group of Janjalani. Last week, a 27-man Marine platoon engaged the 200-man group of Janjalani in the vicinity of Mt. Sinumaan in Patikul town, resulting in the death of six Marine soldiers and wounding of 19 others.
Military officials are giving different figures on the casualty incurred by the Abu Sayyaf in the three-hour firefight. The wounded platoon commander estimated the enemy's casualty at 30 but other officials claimed this could reach 80. (VR/Sunnex) |
