Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 28, 2002
Military Recovers Abu Sayyaf Camp in Southern Philippines
Philippine government troops on Friday recovered an Abu Sayyaf camp on the southern island of Jolo,but fail to capture or neutralize any bandits of the group.
Philippine government troops on Friday recovered an Abu Sayyaf camp on the southern island of Jolo,but fail to capture or neutralize any bandits of the group.
When the soldiers attained the camp on the Mount Sunumaan complex in Patikul town of Jolo after gun fighting, the bandits had apparently withdrawn from the area, the Philippine Daily Inquirer on-line news quoted defense spokesman Mel Rosales as saying.
"The troops were trying to close in to get into a decisive battle but the Abu Sayyaf withdrew. They refused to fight," Rosales said.
The shootout burst out as the troops were pursuing some 100 bandits led by Khadaffy Janjalani and Radulan Sajiron whose sect clashed with the military's scout rangers on Thursday.
An Army lieutenant was killed while six soldiers were injured in the skirmish on Thursday. The military said the soldiers killedan unidentified number of bandits.
Rosales said about four battalions have been deployed in Sulu province where Jolo island is the main body. Their mission is to crush an Abu Sayyaf faction believed encamping in the area.
Since Thursday, the military has shifted its focus from other southern provinces to Jolo island to annihilate Janjalani who tookthe leadership of the bandit group after his brother and the group's founder Abdurajak Janjalani was killed by the military in 1998.