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Philippine Military Send Reinforcements to Pursue Abu Sayyaf
The Philippine military said Wednesday that it is sending more soldiers to the southern island of Basilan to rescue remaining hostages of the Abu Sayyaf and neutralize the bandit group.
Two infantry battalions, each with about 500 soldiers, will arrive in the island province in a few days, Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jose Mabanta told reporters here.
Mabanta said the military is sending more troops to Basilan because of vastness of the area and harsh terrain there.
There are already over 5,000 government troopers in Basilan, combing the mountainous areas for Abu Sayyaf bandits who are still holding at least 18 hostages.
The Abu Sayyaf bandits first abducted 20 people, including three Americans, at a resort in the western province of Palawan on May 27 this year and took them to Basilan, where they seized more hostages while on the run from the military.
At least 14 Filipino hostages have been killed by the bandits while some others have been rescued or released after ransom payments. The bandits claimed they had also executed American hostage Guillermo Sobero, but his body has not been found.
The military has said earlier it hoped to solve the hostage crisis by the end of November this year.
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