MANILA, Philippines - Two Abu Sayyaf commanders survived a military offensive that killed eight militants and led to the seizure of their jungle lair and bomb materials in a remote village in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, officials said.
The assault by more than 100 Army troops early Monday targeted Isnilon Hapilon and Furuji Indama – suspects in the kidnapping of a former Australian soldier freed last month – in Barangay Silangkum.
The two Abu Sayyaf leaders, however, managed to escape and were still being hunted by government forces, Army brigade commander Col. Carlito Galvez said.
At least three soldiers were wounded in the main assault and two subsequent gunbattles with about 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen.
Troops overran the bandit lair, where they found bomb-making materials and equipment, along with sniper rifle parts, Galvez said.
Washington has offered a $5-million reward for the capture or killing of Hapilon, who has been accused of involvement in deadly bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings, including of Americans in the past, landing him on the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Indama is also wanted for his alleged involvement in deadly bombings and kidnappings of several people, including Australian Warren Rodwell who was freed last month after 15 months in jungle captivity and payment of ransom.
Indama has been blamed for the 2007 beheadings of 10 Marines in Basilan, a widely condemned atrocity that prompted a major military offensive against the bandit group.
Galvez said Hapilon and Indama are also accused of trying to sabotage infrastructure projects, including the construction of a road and a power barge, and of trying to extort money from several business firms.
“Both their signatures appeared on the extortion letters,†he said.
Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, commanding general of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the troops also preempted the plan of the bandit group to stage bomb attacks.
Ardo said the troops from the Light Reaction Company (LRC) and Army Scout Rangers recovered electronic parts, circuitry, wires, alligator clips, digital clocks, and other electronic equipment contained in a plastic toolbox.
Ardo said the camp was used by the Abu Sayyaf to train its followers in bomb-making and demolition. “Troops were searching the area for possible IED (improvised explosive device) which the Abu Sayyaf might have assembled,†Ardo said.
The attack took place near an encampment of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim rebel group in the country with which the government has been negotiating a peace accord.
The MILF said they were the ones attacked by army troops, adding the assault violated a years-long truce and may have been aimed at undermining their Malaysian-brokered peace negotiations with the Philippine government.
In a statement on their website, the MILF said the 30-minute clash in Barangay Baguidan left scores of guerrilla casualties. Soldiers entered another rebel community in Basilan but the guerrillas there avoided clashing with the troops to prevent damaging the peace talks, it said.
Galvez denied troops attacked the MILF stronghold, which was located 300 meters from the Abu Sayyaf encampment being targeted.
Galvez said the troops had to forgo the attack to avoid civilian casualties in the area where the terror group initially sought refuge to escape the Army’s pursuit operations last Monday.
“They withdrew towards the MILF community thus preventing our troops from pursuing them,†Galvez said.
Abu Sayyaf gunmen have deliberately encamped there, thinking they would be backed by the MILF in case of fighting with government troops, he said.
The MILF, however, did not help the Abu Sayyaf in Monday’s clashes, according to Galvez.
He added the presence of the Abu Sayyaf in the MILF village forced residents to leave the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Ardo, on the other hand, stressed the Abu Sayyaf is still capable of terror attacks.
“So we have been preventing their terrorism plot. We are not just reacting, we are doing pro-active operations to prevent atrocities and we want to isolate them,†Ardo said.
The Abu Sayyaf, which was founded in the early 1990s on the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan, has been blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization for deadly terror attacks and kidnappings for ransom. US-backed offensives have killed or captured many of its commanders in recent years, leaving the group without an overall leader to unify its factions on Basilan, nearby Jolo and the Zamboanga peninsula.
The Abu Sayyaf, however, has survived with about 350 armed fighters, mainly through kidnappings for ransom and extortion and remains a security threat in the south. – AP, Roel Pareño, Jaime Laude