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Philippine Army Launches Attack Against Abu Sayyaf
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has launched a fresh assault on the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, a military official said Wednesday.
Armed Force chief of staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva announced that limited attacks started Wednesday as the first wave of assaults to "neutralize" the Abu Sayyaf and rescue American hostage Jeffrey Schilling, who has been held by the group since August last year, the ABS-CBN news channel reported.
The military operations were launched following Abu Sayyaf's threat to behead Schilling on Thursday as a "birthday gift" to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who turns 54 on Thursday.
Arroyo Monday declared an all-out war against Abu Sayyaf hours after the group made the threat, saying the government troops will "pursue every one of them relentlessly".
Arroyo also warned the Abu Sayyaf not to harm Schilling, adding that the United States government, through its Embassy in Manila, has expressed its support for her order.
The military estimated the Abu Sayyaf to have 1,200 followers and supporters spread over the islands of Tawi-Tawi, Jolo and Basilan in south Philippines.
In an earlier press conference on Monday, Arroyo assured that the military is in full control of the situation in Jolo and Basilan
Schilling and Roland Ullah, a Filipino diving instructor, are the remaining captives of the Abu Sayyaf group, which kidnapped scores of people last year in Jolo, Basilan and the resort island of Sipadan off Sabah in Malaysia.
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