Authorities have blamed that attack on the kidnap-for-ransom group Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf had warned a week earlier it would mount attacks on civilian, military and US targets to retaliate for the army offensive against Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines. Communist rebels (NPA) have also carried out a series of attacks in the last week. ERRI analysts warned last week of the potential for an expanded terrorist offensive in the Philippines. (See below)

Monday 26th August 2002

Philippine Military Forcing Terrorists into "Target Spot" For Neutralization

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst

PHILIPPINES: The Philippine military told local media on Monday that troops were attempting to round-up fifteen Abu Sayyaf rebels, holding hostages on Jolo Island, into a "Target Spot" where they could be neutralized if negotiations fail.

The rebels are holding four people hostage and asked the Philippine military pull its forces back.  Philippine Armed Forces Chief General Roy Cimatu outwardly refused the request saying he was worried they might try to escape and link up with Abu Sayyaf members on nearby Sulu Island. To counter that move, the 104th Army Brigade has spent the weekend moving into strategic positions around the rebels on Jolo.

Last Wednesday fifteen Abu Sayyaf rebels took eight Jehovah Witnesses hostage from the town of Patikul. The group had been selling Avon and herbal products door to door when they were captured. Two members of the group were freed immediately and another two were beheaded 24 hours later. Their bodies were discovered by Philippine troops in an open-air marketplace with a letter next to them stating the Abu Sayyaf were declaring Jihad.

All four remaining hostages are women and Philippine military advisers speculated that they may be forced to marry or consort with Abu Sayyaf leaders.

In an ultimatum delivered last Friday, the military has given the Abu Sayyaf until Tuesday 27 August to bring about a peaceful end to the situation or face a major assault. Eight battalions of soldiers and an elite U.S.-trained Light Reaction Company are poised to attack if negotiations fail.

22 Aug 2002

24 July 2002

US Indicts Abu Sayyaf Leaders

WASHINGTON. DC/PHILIPPINES: The United States has filed murder charges against five rebel leaders of the Philippines' Abu Sayyaf guerrilla movement for the kidnap and murder of US nationals. The five indictees were named as: Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, Aldam Tilao, Jainal Antel Sali Jr, and Hamsiraji Marusi Sali. Federal charges were filed for the murders of missionary Martin Burnham and Peruvian-born Guillermo Sobero.

Also included were charges relating to the kidnapping of Burnham's wife, Gracia Burnham, who was rescued on 7 June. The five suspects include Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, believed to be the spiritual leader of the group and Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, said to be the second in command. The indictments come a month after the leader of the group, who went by the name Abu Sabaya, was believed killed during a gun battle at sea with US-trained Philippine troops....the latest reports from the area, however, indicate that his body has still not been found.

Wednesday 17 July 2002

PHILIPPINES - LEAD FOCUS

ERRI Cautious about Claims that Abu Sayyaf is "Much Diminished".

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

According to U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, Francis Ricciardone, the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group operating in the south of the country is almost totally eradicated. However, Emergency Response and Research (ERRI) analysts are treating the news with caution and suspicion because of the elusive nature of the group and its previous ability to launch forceful surprise attacks in area's where they've supposedly been neutralized.

"They've been much diminished in terms of whatever formality and organization they had. At least one of its five principal leaders has been killed, the others are on the run. The numbers of fighters clearly are much
diminished," Ricciardone told reporters on Wednesday. He said that Philippine military forces were merely "mopping up" the remnants of the group in the southern Philippines.

While that may be true that joint military operations against Abu Sayyaf have shown some success, ERRI analysts said that they respectfully suggest a "wait-and-see" attitude. "In other words, it ain't over 'til it's over...with all due respect to the ambassador's assessment, we must suggest that Abu Sayyaf may exfiltrate and reconstitute later at another time and place," one analyst noted.

Linked to al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiya organization operating in the Asian region, Abu Sayyaf are notorious for kidnappings foreigners and villagers in the Philippines and Malaysia. In the past two years, they have been responsible for killing two Americans and injuring one other.

For the past month, Abu Sayyaf have been carrying out surprise attacks in Zamboagna del Norte Province, north of their base on the Island of Basilan. Despite military casualties being reported, the Abu Sayyaf are reportedly coming out of many skirmishes with few injuries or without damage.

It is with caution that ERRI analysts analyze the news that the group is almost defunct, largely because of similar claims by the Philippine military in 2000 following a concerted campaign against the terrorists. Within weeks of that claim being made in March 2000, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 23 foreigners from the Malaysian resort island of Sapidan and transported them to the Philippine island of Jolo. The hostage situation lasted months and resulted in several hostage deaths. Future events could shadow past history, analysts said.

Also, reports by Philippine press say that Abu Sayyaf members have been sighted moving south into Malaysian waters, out of reach of the Philippine military. Further evidence of this shift in Abu Sayyaf terrorists came when leader Abu Subaya was allegedly killed, while attempting to move into Malaysia. Experts say that it is possible that Abu Sayyaf will merely move to areas sympathetic to them in Indonesia or Malaysia...only to return when there is less military pressure (particularly by USSOF). Similar tactics have been seen in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Currently, the United States has 1,000 personnel in the southern Philippines taking part in the Balikatan exercises, which involve U.S. troops advising the Philippine military personnel on ways to fight the Abu  Sayyaf. In two weeks the exercises will end and much of the U.S. contingent will leave the country, but Ricciardone says a small envoy will remain to advise.

08 June 2002

PHILIPPINES: According to Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, US forces helped plan the Philippines operation that led to the death of an American missionary and a Filipina captive. Reyes said elements of a US anti-terror mission in the southern Philippines were "advising and assisting" the Filipino troops who carried out the mission. Christian missionary Martin Burnham, 42, and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap were slain, while Martin's wife Gracia, 43, was rescued and treated for a bullet wound on her right leg.  Reyes said: "None of them were involved in the actual combat operation, but our American friends taking part in Balikatan 02-01 participated actively and materially, substantially, in the planning and the advising and assisting in the execution. We cannot overemphasize the importance of the American contribution."

07 June 2002

US Hostages Killed In Philippine Rescue Operation

PHILIPPINES: The military said two hostages, one of them an American missionary, have been killed in a rescue attempt by the Philippine army. American Martin Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap died in the operation, while Burnham's wife, Gracia was wounded and is now in a hospital. The Christian missionary couple were kidnapped by Muslim separatist guerrillas in the southern Philippines in May of last year. Hundreds of troops, backed by US technology, launched the attack on Friday to try to rescue the couple as part of an extended rescue operation that has been going on for almost two weeks. All of the details of the confrontation are currently not clear, it is expected that the Philippine government and U.S. DoD are going to release more information later today...

23 Apr 2002

Terrorism Advisory Issued For Philippines

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- ERRI counter-terrorism analysts today issued a supplemental terrorism advisory for the Philippine Islands. The advisory warns of the possibility of additional terror bombings in the Southern Philippines, in the City of Manila, and/or other locations. The warning references recent interrogations of two suspects allegedly involved in bombings in the vicinity of General Santos, where 14 people were killed and at least fifty others wounded this past weekend. Increasing activity and threats by Abu Sayyaf, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and Jemaah Islamiyah also contributes to the level of alarm concerning this region. Reports from the area reveal alleged intent by the guerillas to escalate violence in the region, in a concerted attempt to "destabilize" the government in Manila.

To quote a April 18, 2002 statement from the U.S. Dept. of  State: "U.S. citizens are warned to avoid travel to the central, southern and western areas of Mindanao, including Zamboanga City, due to incidents of terrorism, kidnappings, and violence. U.S. citizens should also avoid travel to the islands of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Jolo, located in the Sulu Archipelago in the extreme southwest of the Philippines. Americans residing in central, southern or western Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago should carefully review their situation and evaluate their security posture in light of local circumstances. As a precaution, the U.S. Government has withdrawn resident official Americans and contractors from these areas. In view of these incidents and the possibility of future terrorist activity, kidnappings for ransom, or bombings, Americans traveling to or residing in the Philippines are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to increase their security awareness..."

21 Apr 2002

Multiple Bombings in the Philippines; 14 Dead and More than 50 Wounded

PHILIPPINES: Officials said a bomb exploded in front of a busy department store in the southern city of General Santos on Sunday, killing at least 14 people. Two other bombs went off in quick succession near the Radio Mindanao Network office and a bus terminal in the Philippine city. At least 50 people were injured in the series of blasts. Police said they received an anonymous call claiming 18 bombs had been planted around the largely Christian city of 800,000 people in the predominantly Muslim south. A man, who identified himself as Abu Muslim al Ghazi, called the RMN radio station and claimed the blasts in the name of Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.

The first bomb exploded in a pedal-powered cab parked in a line about 10 yards in front of the Gensan Fitmart department store in the city's business district. Most of the casualties appeared to be pedi-cab drivers, shoppers and bystanders. The second bomb went off 34 minutes later at a radio station, followed several minutes afterward by the bus terminal blast, injuring several people.

Police said two unexploded bombs were discovered under a truck parked in front of the store and they were detonated safely by the police bomb squad. The injured were rushed to hospitals and clinics in the city, a little over 620 miles southeast of Manila. Most businesses were closed, and checkpoints were set up on major roads.

It was not clear if the blasts were related to the sentencing Thursday in General Santos of an Indonesian man believed to be a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian-based group with suspected links to al-Qaeda. Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison for explosives possession. He told police he had planned a series of bombings that killed 22 people in Manila on 30 December 2000.

ERRI preliminary analysis: Although Philippine authorities are cautious about linking the attack to the sentencing of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) terrorist bombmaker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, this attack was probably carried out by Jeemah Islamiya (who Al-Ghozi was also associated with). Jeemah Islamiya has a history of carrying out multiple attacks on Christian targets (December 24, 2000, when about 20 churches were attacked is their largest attack) and plotting to carry out simultaneous bomb attacks on western targets (a failed operation called Jabril, aimed at U.S., British and Australian interests in Singapore).
ERRI analysts said that the attacks may also be linked to the deployment of additional U.S. troops that is believed to be occurring shortly. Jeemah Islamiya (JI) is a very powerful terrorist organization that is reactive to regional events and proactive in attacking western interests.

13 Apr 2002

Philippine Guerrillas Ordered To Attack U.S. Troops By Communist Leader

PHILIPPINES: It was being reported on Saturday that the exiled founder of the Philippines' communist insurgent movement has ordered his guerrillas to "inflict severe casualties" on US troops participating in joint exercises in the country. The order was published in the latest issue of the communists' Ang Bayan (the Nation) publication, and was issued by insurgent chief "Armando Liwanag," widely considered the alias of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison. The order said: "We must be ready to use the social and physical terrain of the Philippines to inflict severe casualties on the invading US forces and to take punitive action against US economic and related interests."

The order added that the communists' guerrilla arm, the New People's Army (NPA) "must deliver lethal blows against the US imperialists and the puppet military and police forces, whatever extent that the US intervenes or aggresses against the people. The way for the NPA to strengthen itself is to wipe out the enemy forces and seize firearms and other war materiel from them..."

25 Mar 2002

Abu Sayyaf Rebels Want To Make A Deal

PHILIPPINES: The military said on Monday that Islamic rebels are asking the government for ceasefire and safe passage for a wounded guerrilla leader in exchange for a Filipina hostage. The military brass however rejected the offer and instead called on the Abu Sayyaf rebels holding out in the southern Philippines to surrender. Relatives of wounded Abu Sayyaf commander Bakal Hapilon had relayed the request to military southern command chief Lieutenant General Roy Cimatu, who promptly rejected it.

Cimatu instead called on the Abu Sayyaf to release all hostages, including a US Christian missionary couple and peacefully give up to authorities. Cimatu said: "Release all three hostages and the military will agree that Bakal and all other Abu Sayyaf wounded be treated at southern command hospital by military doctors. But there will be no ceasefire." Bakal Hapilon was said to be critically wounded after soldiers overran an Abu Sayyaf camp near Basilan's Lantawan town on Saturday. Five other rebels were killed in the gunbattle. Abu Sayyaf guerillas have used a similar ploy before in an attempt to escape and regroup.

23 Mar 2002

PHILIPPINES: Police said two bombs were found in the suburbs of Manila, bringing to 13 the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) discovered in Philippine cities this week. The first bomb, made of two grenades, was found in a brown envelope on a pedestrian overpass in the financial district of Makati late Friday. It was safely defused.

A second bomb was found in an envelope on a pedestrian overpass in the suburb of Pasay. Pasay police defused it and took it away for examination. The police refused to comment on the type of bomb or whether anyone claimed credit for it.

Television reports said the bomb found in Makati, like the others planted in recent days, was not set up to explode. It was claimed by the "Indigenous Federal State Army", an obscure group that is demanding the Philippines be divided into three federal states for indigenous people, Christians and Muslims. The same group allegedly planted six previous bombs in Manila and its suburbs.

20 Mar 2002

PHILIPPINES: Following the discovery of two bombs on Manila's train system which is used by nearly half a million commuters daily, police in the Philippine capital have gone on full alert. President Gloria Arroyo said police "have narrowed down the suspects," but would not discuss their identities. Police say they have not ruled out the possibility that Muslim separatist guerrillas, communist rebels, or even supporters of detained former president Joseph Estrada were involved.

In the third such incident in three days, police at dawn on Wednesday removed grenades rigged to batteries at two busy stations of Manila's overhead rail system. National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the grenades recovered Wednesday, like earlier packages removed from a side- walk and near a hotel at the Makati financial district the two previous nights, all lacked detonators. Golez said: "Our analysis is that this is not an act of terrorists. Definitely not. More likely it is an act of a political group who would like to deliver a political message. There is no intent to kill and hurt because those explosive materials would not detonate. They were not set up in order to detonate. They are set up in a harmless way."

19 Mar 2002

Bomb Plot Uncovered

PHILIPPINES: Manila's police chief said on Tuesday that two bombs were found planted in different areas in the Philippine financial suburb of Makati but were rendered safe by a police bomb squad. The bombs were discovered in bags on the sidewalks of two major streets in Makati late Monday. A previously unheard group called the "Indigenous Federal State Army" claimed responsibility for the attempted bombings.

A letter from the group was found with the bombs, one made of a 60 mm mortar shell and the other made of a 40 mm grenade round. The group claimed to be seeking the country's division into separate states of Muslim, Christian and indigenous groups, according to the letter writer who identified himself as "Adrev." However police cast doubt over the claim, saying shadowy opposition groups in the past had attempted bombings to destabilize the government every time the country appeared to be on the road to recovery.

Police would not rule out the possibility that Muslim separatist guerrillas or communist rebels might be behind the latest bombing attempt. The IEDs were not destroyed and police expressed hope that they could be used to help identify the perpetrators...

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Eight Terror Suspects Arrested In The Philippines

PHILIPPINES: A report said on Friday that Philippine authorities have arrested eight suspected terrorists, some of them are believed linked to Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network. The Philippine Star newspaper said the suspects included Indonesian, Middle East and Japanese nationals and were taken into custody separately in two groups of four. The paper did not say when the arrests were made.

According to the Star, one group, led by an Indonesian, had been under surveillance by Philippine intelligence since they arrived in Manila on 11 March on board a Lufthansa flight from Bangkok. Airport security personnel detained the suspected terrorists during metal detector checks at the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

The report said incriminating items such as explosive materials and other related sophisticated equipment used for terrorist activities were found in the luggage of the suspected terrorists. The other group of four suspected terrorists -- three from the Middle East and one from Japan -- were arrested upon their arrival at the Manila airport. They had used tampered British passports and were immediately held by the immigration bureau. Found in their possession were the names of their contacts in the Philippines, Canada, India, and Bangladesh. The four admitted knowing each other.

The newspaper added: "There is a strong possibility that these foreigners could be under the command of a terrorist group operating internationally and assigned in this specific Southeast Asian region." Officials have recently said that the al-Qaeda terror network has been linked to a destabilization campaign in the Philippines, which may be part of its plot to seize power in Southeast Asia.

In other related news from the Philippines, military officials said on Friday that small US Special Forces units are to join Filipino troops in patrols on the southern Philippines island stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrilla group next week. But the officials insisted the Americans would only be joining "field training exercises" on Basilan Island and not engage in actual combat. They are, however, allowed to defend themselves if attacked by hostile forces.

About 160 US Special Forces, divided into 12-man teams, are deployed with several military battalions on Basilan, a hilly island the size of Los Angeles where the rebels have been holding hostage US Christian missionary couple since June. The US deployment in the southern Philippines is the largest next to Afghanistan in its war on terrorism.

21 Jan 2002

Philippine Defense Chief Says Southeast Asia Might Be Next Terror Haven

PHILIPPINES: Even as a US-led campaign targets Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, Philippines Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes says Southeast Asia may be the next haven of international terrorists. He cited the arrest in the Philippines last week of an Indonesian believed to be an explosives expert of the Jemaah Islamiyah organization, which police say is a terror group operating in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

The arrest of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi came after information from Singapore was received and led to the arrest of three Filipino accomplices and the seizure of an explosives cache in the southern city of General Santos.

In a television interview, Reyes said: "So what does this say? I think the more we go into it, the more we will find out that this global threat of terrorism is real." He noted that Indonesia and Malaysia both have Muslim-majority populations. Reyes said: "We have a smaller Muslim population, but quite aggressive. We have the Abu Sayyaf group, which has demonstrated the capacity and the stomach to behead people, and be proud of it."

18 Jan 2002

Explosives Seized In Philippine Bust

PHILIPPINES: Acting on information from authorities in Singapore who recently broke up a terror ring there, Philippine police arrested three men suspected of links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network and seized a ton of explosives on Thursday. The arrests in the southern Philippine city of General Santos came as U.S. troops began setting up camp less than 200 miles away to assist the Philippine military in combating an Islamic separatist band of kidnappers.

The arrests and the discovery of a weapons cache indicate that a terrorist network connected with al-Qaeda has been operating secretly for some time in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. About 650 U.S. troops are moving into the southern Philippines to train and assist government soldiers in maneuvers aimed at destroying Abu Sayyaf guerrillas operating on Basilan island.

There was no indication whether the three suspects arrested on Thursday on the island of Mindanao have any links to the Abu Sayyaf or to other Islamic separatist groups that have long fought the government in the southern Philippines. Authorities didn't identify the three arrested men or provide information about them, although they are all apparently Filipinos.

Police said they had dug up a variety of weapons, including 17 M-16s, bomb-making materials and detonators, from the yard of a house that the suspects were using. Police dug up the weapons cache, which included 50 cartons of TNT. Markings on cylinders containing the TNT indicated that they were made in the Philippines. Police also found 300 detonators.

16 Jan 2002

21 Killed in Latest Clashes in Philippines

PHILIPPINES: Taking the toll in two days of clashes, police drawn from former Islamic rebels shot and killed three army rangers in the southern Philippines on Wednesday. The military's southern command said the three rangers were killed at around 08:30 hours local time at a public market in the town of Jolo, 600 miles south of Manila. Witnesses and local officials said police fired on an army patrol and the bodies of three soldiers were later hacked by civilians.

The civilians, mostly Muslims, were enraged by a gun battle on Tuesday in which 18 people were killed and which they blamed on the military. The fighting on both days involved mobile units of the police, a division made up of former Muslim rebels. Many of the rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have reneged in recent months on a peace deal with Manila and fought government troops. But it was the first time MNLF men inducted into the military and police under the 1996 peace deal -- called "integrees" -- had turned their guns on regular government troops.

At least 16 people were killed on Tuesday after a gunfight between police and Marines during a public rally in front of the town square of Jolo. Two of the 17 injured died over- night. The dead included 10 Marines, six civilians and two policemen. Police have ordered the entire 400-strong mobile unit squad pulled out of Jolo.

Tuesday's rally was held to demand the release of MNLF chief Nur Misuari, who is in custody after being deported from Malaysia. He was arrested for illegal entry by Malaysian authorities after an abortive uprising on Jolo and in the nearby city of Zamboanga by his supporters last November. At least 200 people were killed in the fighting.

28 Dec 2001

Explosives Investigation in the Philippines

[Terror Group Reference: al-Qaida]

Manila, Philippines -- Officials said on Friday that a Jordanian man was arrested and 281 sticks of dynamite were seized from his Manila-area home. Authorities were said to be investigating possible international terrorism activity in the Philippines. National police chief General Leandro Mendoza said agents arrested one Hadi Yousef Alghoul on Thursday after obtaining a warrant to search his apartment in Balanga City, 35 miles west of Manila.

Mendoza said police are investigating possible links between the explosives and terrorist groups, particularly the al-Qaida network. It wasn't immediately clear if Yousef, who is a five-year resident of the Philippines and is married to a local woman, was under investigation for possible links to al-Qaida. Police also seized wiring, a dry-cell battery and three cell phones that could be used in assembling a bomb.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Friday, December 21, 2001-Vol. 7, No. 357

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Is U.S. Setting Sights On The Abu Sayyaf/Al-Qaida Connection?

Terror Group Reference: Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaida

By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst

It has long been reported that counterterrorism analysts believe there is some kind of link between Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network and the Philippines' Abu Sayyaf rebel group. But officials aren't certain how solidly those connections have been maintained. In recent years, Abu Sayyaf (Arabic for "Father of the Sword") has been best known for a series of high-profile kidnappings from tourist resorts in Malaysia and the Philippines believed to have netted the rebels millions of dollars in ransom payments.

The targets have included Americans and other Westerners, including Guillermo Sobero, a California man whose head- less remains were found in the Philippine jungle in October. Some officials have seen the sudden surge of kidnappings for profit as an indication that whatever funding Abu Sayyaf may have had from al-Qaida had likely been cut off or reduced in recent years.

Although the United States is arming the Philippine military in its battle against Abu Sayyaf and the group is on the State Department list of known terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Colin Powell has said direct U.S. military action in Southeast Asia connected to the war on terror is unlikely. Although Abu Sayyaf appears to have been shaken up and altered by an intense Philippine military campaign to destroy it, U.S. and Philippine officials believe the group's ties to al-Qaida are still in place.

The al Qaeda-Abu Sayyaf links are believed to go back to the origins of the group. A U.S. official recently said that the links continued in recent years as the two groups exchanged money, equipment and people -- including Abu Sayyaf fighters being sent for training at al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan.

Like al-Qaida, Abu Sayyaf has its roots in the 1980s war to drive the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Several future members of both groups -- including bin Laden and future Abu Sayyaf leader Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani -- fought with Muslim mujahideen forces. Soon after the war, the Abu Sayyaf offered training in combat and terrorist skills at a "university" in Pakistan.

Abu Sayyaf emerged in the Philippines in 1991 under Janjalani, an Islamic "cleric" from Basilan Island in the southern Philippines, with an attack on a Philippine military post. Abu Sayyaf presented itself as a more radical wing of a decades-long separatist struggle by about five million Muslims in the southern Philippines. The Philippines military and U.S. officials later said Abu Sayyaf was being funded during that early period through Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, a brother-in-law to bin Laden. ERRI reported on this source of funding several times in the past.

Abu Sayyaf soon broadened its targets beyond the Philippine military to include the nation's Christian majority and, apparently, the United States. Here is chronology of some its earlier spectacular activities:

14 November 1993: Kidnapped a U.S. missionary, Charles Watson, in Pangutaran Island, Sulu Batu. He was released unharmed in Manila on 7 December 1993.

11 December 1994: Abu Sayyaf Group claimed responsibility for an explosion aboard a Phillipine Airliner. One Japanese citizen was killed, and at least ten others were injured.

9 September 1997: Kidnapped a German business executive in Zamboanga City. The ASG released the hostage on 26 December.

3 January 1999: A grenade was thrown into a crowd that had gathered to watch firefighters put out a blaze in a neighborhood supermarket. Ten people were killed, and at least 74 injured. The attack is thought to have been carried out by Abu Sayyaf members to avenge their leader Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, killed in December 1998 in a clash with security forces.

20 March 2000: Fifty three hostages--including 22 school children and five teachers, and a priest--were abducted from two schools on Basilan after Abu Sayyaf failed in an attempt to take an army outpost. The rebels eventuially released 20 hostages in exchange for food and medicine.

23 April 2000: Twenty-one hostages were kidnapped from a Malaysian diving resort by Abu Sayyaf. The hostages, who included tourists, hotel workers, and wildlife officials, were taken to Jolo Island in the Philippines. The hostages included three Germans, two French, two South Africans, two Finns, one Lebanese and a Filipino working at the Sipadan Island Resort. Nine Malaysians working on the island were also seized.

29 August 2000: Abu Sayyaf abducted Jeffrey Craig Schilling, an American Muslim convert who came to visit their Jolo Island stronghold. Abu Sabaya, a spokesman for the faction holding Schilling said that his group was demanding the release of Ramzi Youssef, Sheikh Adel Omar Rahman and Abu Haidal from U.S. prisons.

The following is the U.S. State Department profile of Abu Sayyaf:

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)

Description: The ASG is the smallest and most radical of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the southern Philippines. Some ASG members have studied or worked in the Middle East and developed ties to mujahidin while fighting and training in Afghanistan. The group split from the Moro National Liberation

Front in 1991 under the leadership of Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, who was killed in a clash with Philippine police on 18 December 1998. Press reports place his younger brother, Khadafi Janjalani, as the nominal leader of the group, which is composed of several factions.

Activities: Engages in bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, areas in the southern Philippines heavily populated by Muslims. Raided the town of Ipil in Mindanao in April 1995--the group's first large-scale action--and kidnapped more than 30 foreigners, including a US citizen, in 2000.

Strength: Believed to have about 200 core fighters, but more than 2,000 individuals motivated by the prospect of receiving ransom payments for foreign hostages allegedly joined the group in August.

Location/Area of Operation: The ASG primarily operates in the southern Philippines with members occasionally traveling to Manila, but the group expanded its operations to Malaysia this year when it abducted foreigners from two different resorts.

External Aid: Probably receives support from Islamic extremists in the Middle East and South Asia.

19 August 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Chinese Hostages Reportedly Killed in Philippines Firefight

MINDANAO -- The BBC world service says that the Philippines military is reporting that two Chinese hostages have been shot dead during a gun-battle in the south of the country between the Muslim rebels holding them and army troops. A third Chinese man is said to have escaped during the incident in the village of Bunawan, in Sultan Kudarat province, on the island of Mindanao. It is believed two further hostages, a Chinese and a Filipino, are still being held. The rebels had demanded $10m in ransom for the safe release of their captives.

PHILIPPINES:

Hostages Rescued

MANILA -- The military said that army has rescued 13 Filipino hostages after a clash with members of the militant Muslim group Abu Sayyaf. The hostages were freed before dawn on Sunday, when the soldiers stormed the militants' hideout outside the town of Isabela, the capital of Basilan Island, about 560 miles south of Manila. An undetermined number of militants were killed in the operation; few official details were immediately released by authorities.

The 13 rescued hostages were among about 35 villagers captured by Abu Sayyaf in a raid on the town of Lamitan on Basilan on Thursday. An army spokesman said the guerrillas beheaded 10 hostages, while 12 others were either released or had escaped. The Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan is still holding around 20 people captured during raids in May, including two Americans taken from a luxury beach resort.

In an effort to prevent possible attacks by Muslim rebels holding Filipino and U.S. hostages on a nearby island, government troops stepped up security around the largely Christian city of Zamboanga on Sunday. Local officials said about 80 supporters of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group were believed to have fled to coastal districts of Zamboanga since the military launched a crackdown on the rebels on Basilan Island on Friday.

Police have tightened security around the commercial center and several Christian churches in Zamboanga, while troops set up checkpoints around the city during the night in a heightened alert. The measures followed intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf or its supporters might launch terrorist attacks in the city of 600,000 people...

Reports continue to come in to EmergencyNet News concerning potential attacks on U.S. and Israeli embassies in Manila. The latest threat, citing senior Philippine officials, allegedly involves the possibility that an individual or individuals from Lebanon and associated with alleged terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden, are attempting to enter the Philippines for the purposes of undertaking a terrorist event. Few official details concerning the threat are available, but both Philippine and U.S. officials are said to be taking extra precautions to prevent any possible attacks.

PHILIPPINES:

Bomb Blasts At General Santos City Disco

At least 13 people were reported wounded in the southern Philippines when two bombs exploded in a disco in General Santos City on the island of Mindanao. Police said they are investigating if the attacks were prompted by business rivalry, or if they were the work of one of the rebel groups in the area.

14:00CDT - 07 July 2001

Philippine Govt. Investigating Plot To Bomb U.S. Embassy and Assassinate Philippine President Arroyo

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- The Philippine Star is today reporting that Philippine authorities are investigating an alleged  plot by elements of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)  to bomb the U.S. embassy in Manila and assassinate Philippine President Arroyo. The STAR report also ties Abu Sayyaf and other Philippine militants to training and financing believed to have originated in Afghanistan.

The ASG has been named a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State (DoS), and the DoS have recently issued several travel warnings concerning the possibility of impending terrorist attacks and additional kidnapping in the Philippines.  EmergencyNet News is closely monitoring events in the Philippines and will provide additional updates as circumstances warrant...

06 July 2001

PHILIPPINES

British FCO Issues Updated Travel Advice

On 4 July, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued the following updated Country Advice for the Philippines:

"In recent weeks there has been an increase in kidnappings in Manila and throughout the Philippines, including in popular resorts. There is also a threat from random bombings. Including a reported specific threat to bomb public places in Metro Manila.

We strongly advise against all travel to southern and western Mindanao and against all holiday and other non-essential travel to other parts of Mindanao and Palawan until further notice. British nationals should remain vigilant throughout the Philippines, including heightened security awareness against the threat of kidnapping in Manila, and exercise great caution when considering travel to any coastal resorts.

British nationals should heighten their security awareness throughout the Philippines. Sensible precautions include arranging to be met at the airport or using hotel transfer services; using a driver or taxis from reputable sources such as a hotel rank; and avoiding walking in the city at night. Even well lit and busy city areas cannot be assumed to be safe. Avoid travel off the beaten track and leave travel plans with friends or relatives.

The local media reported on 29 June that Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists intend to bomb public places in Metro Manila. Grenades were thrown into Manila shopping malls on 29 April and 6 May this year, causing many injuries. This follows several incidents last year in which unidentified bombers planted bombs that exploded in Metro Manila without warning. Targets included a train, a bus and the airport. It is reported a total of 22 people died and many were injured.

While these bombs were not aimed at British nationals, they were unpredictable and indiscriminate. Visitors should therefore exercise increased vigilance in public places. As with the rest of the Philippines, visitors should exercise increased vigilance in public places following these terrorist incidents.

Kidnap gangs have used extreme violence against some victims and are increasingly targeting business figures and visitors throughout the Philippines, including Metro Manila and the business/entertainment district of Makati. Three British nationals have been kidnapped so far this year and held for periods up to three weeks. Heightened security awareness is essential..."

In a discussion among counter-terrorism analysts yesterday, ERRI's Clark Staten said of the situation in the Philippines, "Kidnapping and ransom paying begets more kidnapping. This is an endless cycle of violence and extortion that is only making Aby Sayyaf more cash rich and able to pay for weapons, explosives, and hire more soldiers." "Solution #1...don't pay the ransom...Solution #2...arrest/terminate the hostage takers. If there is no financial incentive for kidnapping they will stop doing it. As long as the terrorists continue to get paid, they will continue to kidnap," Staten added.

03 July 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Hostages Freed In The Philippines; Released to Carry Mid-East "Political Message," and after alleged ransom payment.

According to senior military officials, two hostages have been freed by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines. The two Filipinos were found by the army in the town of Lamitan on the island of Basilan late on Monday. The Abu Sayyaf has been holding 23 hostages, including three Americans, one of whom has reportedly been killed.

Unidentified officials said that a ransom of US$113,000 was paid for the release of the two, although the government has ruled out such payments. There have been several reports that the families of the hostages have been secretly trying to negotiate deals, after the army failed to free the hostages despite a massive military operation. There were claims that a ransom had been secretly paid for the other hostages from the resort, who were earlier freed. Filipino officials denied that there was any change in their official position on the payment of ransom.

Fifteen-year-old Lalaine Chua and 32-year-old Luis Bautista were among the 17 Filipinos who were seized, along with three Americans, from the resort of Dos Palmas off the western island of Palawan on 27 May. They are now expected to be flown to the capital Manila to meet President Gloria Arroyo. Of the original 20 hostages, 11 were later freed. But more were captured during a raid on a local hospital and school in Lamitan.

In a statement read on a local radio station shortly after his release, Bautista reportedly said the Abu Sayyaf  threatened to "continue to attack and seize US and European citizens and their properties" until certain demands were met. These demands included, for the first time, a political statement concerning withdrawal of all US and European troops and businesses from the Middle East and withdrawal of U.S. support for Israel.

Two Filipino men were killed and the Abu Sayyaf have boasted that they have killed one of the three Americans, Guillermo Sobero, even though his body has not been found. Authorities suspect that Sobero is dead. But his body has yet to be found, so they cannot confirm that he has indeed been beheaded, as the rebels claim.

Thousands of troops are still searching the mountains and jungles of Basilan in an effort to rescue the remaining captives. The Abu Sayyaf says it is seeking "an independent Muslim state," but the government calls it a "band of bandits," who simply kidnaps people for ransom.

29 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Bomb Threat In Manila; U.S. Aid Sought

Security forces on Friday were investigating a threat of terrorist bombings in the capital Manila to take the pressure off rebels who are under siege from pursuing troops in the south. The plot was uncovered with the arrest of confessed Abu Sayyaf intelligence officer Harsim Abdulajid in Manila. Police said he had a hand in planning a series of bombings to divert attention from rebels holding 23 US and Filipino hostages on Basilan Island where they are being pursued by a large military task force.

Two soldiers and an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in a clash late Thursday. The deaths raise the reported toll to 18 government soldiers and at least 20 Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed and more than 75 wounded on both sides in a month of fighting since the rebels embarked on a kidnapping spree. Fighting has increased in the past six days since the military said it had engaged hit-and-run perimeter guards of the guerrillas on a jungle mountain in the center of the island.

The guerrillas are believed to have split into at least two groups with their captives, and it was not known if any hostages have been caught in the shooting. Government troops were said to be closing in on the main band of guerrillas who are holding US Christian missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and eight Filipinos. The whereabouts of the second group, holding 13 plantation workers, was not known.

U.S. Aid Sought Against Kidnap Rebels

Wanting to crush the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers in the south of her country, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal arroyo said on Friday she has asked the United States to provide surveillance plus modern equipment. Arroyo told an Economist Intelligence Unit business conference that the Muslim rebel group had done serious damage to the country's tourism industry and she once again vowed to destroy them. Not mincing her words, Arroyo said: "They are scum and we will get them."

The Philippine president told the gathering that the foreign business community had nothing to fear in the Philippines despite a spate of other kidnappings and the political upheaval of the past year. She said: "In the past 12 months we have had the impeachment trial, Edsa II (people power uprising in January) and an attempted rebellion (on 1 May) yet democracy survived and the effect on business was minimal.

There were no tanks crawling the streets, no curfew, no fear or threat to your lives or property." Arroyo added that she could guarantee the government would thwart trouble makers and businesses would be protected. Arroyo said the newly created National Anti-Crime Council would pull out all stops to combat urban kidnapping.

25 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Rebel Leader Says "Conflict Could Widen"

A rebel leader responsible for kidnapping dozens of hostages threatened on Monday to carry out more killings that could spread his violent Muslim separatist movement across Southeast Asia. Abu Sabaya demanded that the Philippine government bring in three negotiators involved in mediating the end to another hostage crisis last year by his Abu Sayyaf group, reportedly for millions of dollars in ransom. Sabaya, who has already killed several captives and has claimed to have beheaded one of the three Americans he is holding captive, said he would kill more if the government refuses.

The military said on Monday that troops clashed with the Muslim rebels on a southern island but the main guerrilla group believed to be holding the hostages was unsighted. Four members of Abu Sayyaf and one soldier were wounded in a 15-minute shootout on Sunday near Isabela, the capital of Basilan Island, before the rebels retreated into the jungle. Sunday's clash was the first between the two sides in a more than a week.

23 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Volcano Erupts In Central Philippines

Shaking the ground for miles around, a volcano erupted in the central Philippines on Sunday. Authorities said thousands of residents were ordered to leave their homes. At least 6,000 villagers living within five miles of the Mayon volcano fled their homes on Sunday. At least 4,000 others in the path of the lava were ordered out as well.

The volcano has been erupting gently for some days, with lava steadily spouting out of the crater, huge red hot boulders have been rolling down the flanks of the mountain, and columns of ash have been ejected into the air. But on Sunday at 1300 hours local time (0500 GMT), the volcano let out a powerful eruption, with huge geysers of rocks, lava and flaming ash shooting up from the crater in loud booms. Scientists warn that there could be a more explosive and hazardous eruption any time in the next few days...

19 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Military Says It's Closing In On Rebels

The Philippine military said on Tuesday it has pinpointed Muslim extremist kidnappers in a southern jungle and were moving in for an attack, despite the guerrillas' call for negotiations. National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said on national television: "It's still a game of hide and seek, but their world is getting smaller and smaller. We have located them and our troops are closing in."

Government officials received new demands by the rebels to bring in new negotiators and abandon the army's pursuit in exchange for the release of two more hostages. Golez says the new demands will be rejected. The new demands were made in a letter to President Gloria Arroyo, delivered last Saturday by one of three Philippine hostages released by the rebels, Francis Ganzon. When he delivered the rebels' letter, Ganzon told the army he thought the American hostage, Guillermo Sobero, was dead.

The government denied reports that the families of the three freed hostages had paid the rebels ransom for their release. In the letter to Arroyo, rebel leader Abu Sabaya asked that Justice Secretary Hernando Perez be appointed negotiator in talks with the Abu Sayyaf. The government has not responded yet.

It is believed that the Abu Sayyaf have split the hostages into several groups, and it was not clear how many captives were being held by the rebels in the southern jungle that the soldiers had closed in on. About 5,000 troops have been deployed in the mountains and jungles in the pursuit of the rebels.

17 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Officials Say They Now Believe That U.S. Hostage Was Killed

ZAMBOANGA -- Philippine officials are now saying that they now believe that Muslim Abu Sayyaf guerillas may have killed American hostage Guillermo Sobero. The statement comes following a debriefing of other hostages who were released, according to presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao. Abu Sayyaf guerrillas said on June 12 they had beheaded Sobero, but Philippine officials said that they doubted the accuracy of the claim until today. Three Americans and 17 Filipinos were abducted by Abu Sayyaf rebels, from the Dos Palmas tourist resort on Palawan island, on 27 May 2001. The guerillas have been on the run from several battalions of Philippine troops since then.

14 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Deny Killing Cleric: Philippine Govt. Declares "All Out War" on Abu Sayyaf

As officials on the island of Basilan said on Wednesday they had discovered the headless body of Mohaimin Sahi Latip, Muslim rebels holding about 28 hostages in the southern Philippines denied killing a Muslim cleric who had privately tried to negotiate the release of the captives. A spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf rebels called a local radio station to say the cleric was being held as a hostage and could not be released because it would give away the rebels' position. The government has said it has ended negotiations with the separatist rebels and will now focus only on hunting them down.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said: "There's no point in talking anymore. It's all-out war." Government troops deployed on Basilan have not yet been able to locate the rebels or the body of an American hostage they claim to have beheaded. Rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya claimed on Tuesday they had carried out their threat to decapitate Sobero, accusing the government of being insincere in negotiations.

Mohaimin Sahi Latip contacted the rebels in an unofficial attempt to negotiate the hostages' release, and has been missing since last week. Officials say his is one of three headless bodies found on the island on Wednesday. President Gloria Arroyo has deployed thousands of troops on the island and has pledged to "cleanse" the area of Abu Sayyaf rebels.

In other, possibly related, news, gunmen seized a Malaysian vessel off Borneo Island and took it across the border to the Philippines. The military said Thursday it has ruled out the involvement of the Abu Sayyaf. The vessel was hijacked on Wednesday afternoon off the Sabah port of Sandakan, and found abandoned in the Turtle Islands group just north of the Philippine sea border. The pirates were believed to be hiding on nearby Baguan Island.

The Malaysian coast guard said "ordinary sea robbers" armed with M-16 rifles commandeered four fishing boats. Nine crew members from three vessels were released unharmed after the boat owners paid a whole US$132 for the vessel. The owner of the remaining vessel was still negotiating with the hijackers for the release of the boat and crew. While the Malaysians referred to fishing boats, officials in the Philippines described the vessel found on the Turtle Islands as a barge. The vessel was taken in an area that was a "frequent place for piracy."

12 June 2001

PHILIPPINES

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

Philippine Rebels Say They Beheaded American Hostage

Despite a concession by the Philippine government, Muslim rebels claimed on Tuesday that they beheaded one of three American hostages and threatened to kill more of their captives on a jungle-covered island. Abu Sabaya, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, said the rebels killed Guillermo Sobero because they doubted the sincerity of a government offer to give in to the single demand they have made during a violent hostage crisis now in its third week. The Philippine army said it was unable to verify the claim that the American had been killed and noted that Abu Sayyaf has engaged in "misinformation" in the past. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo immediately called an emergency cabinet meeting after the claim by the Abu Sayyaf.

The spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf rebels said that the execution was an "independence day present" for the government. He said the rebels had taken the action because the government was not taking the rebel's threats seriously. Abu Sabaya said: "Look for his head in Tuburan." Tuburan is a town on the southern island of Basilan. Tuesday is the 103rd anniversary of the Philippines' declaration of independence from Spain. On Monday President Arroyo appeared to have averted a beheading of a hostage by agreeing to the demands of the kidnappers' for Malaysian negotiators to be brought in. She has refused to call off a military assault on the rebel stronghold of Basilan Island in the southern Philippines.

Also on Monday, rebels seized another group of 15 hostages. Four children, including two 12 year-olds, were among the new hostages. They were seized when rebels raided a coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan. The original group of hostages, including the three Americans and at least ten Filipinos, were snatched from a luxury resort off the southern island of Palawan on 27 May.

11 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Execution Of American Hostage Delayed By Rebels

The Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group delayed the beheading of an American hostage among a group held captive for two weeks and attacked a plantation and abducted more people on Monday. The Abu Sayyaf had set a noon deadline to kill at least one of its three U.S. hostages. Minutes before the deadline, the Philippine government agreed to bring in a Malaysian negotiator who had helped broker a similar hostage crisis a year ago.

Four children, including two 12-year-olds, were among the new hostages. They were seized when rebels raided a coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan. The owners and a security guard were also taken, and two buildings, including a chapel, were burnt down during the raid.

Military officials on Basilan said Abu Sayyaf were trying to split the army forces by carrying out "diversionary operations." The military has warned the rebels that there could be reprisals against their relatives if the hostages are harmed.

The Philippine government - which had refused to negotiate with the rebels - rejected suggestions it had buckled to terrorist blackmail on Monday. But the agreement to send former Malaysian senator Sairin Karno as a mediator marks a sharp change of policy. A businessman, Yusuf Hamdan, said he would also accompany Sairin if the Malaysian government approved. Hamdan said he had had a telephone conversation with the rebel leader, Abu Sabaya, earlier on Monday, pleading for the life of the American captives.

09 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Search For Muslim Rebels As Deadline To Kill Hostages Nears

As special agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived in the southern Philippines FBI agents to discuss the latest hostage crisis with authorities, government troops continued to search a jungle-covered island on Saturday for Muslim extremists who have threatened to kill three American captives unless their demands are met. For a third straight day, the military found no sign of the Abu Sayyaf rebels on Basilan Island. The rebels, holding 13 hostages, have apparently split up in the dense jungle to escape their pursuers.

Meanwhile, three FBI agents arrived in the city of Zamboanga, across a strait from Basilan, to discuss the crisis with police and military officials. The U.S. Embassy has said the agents are only offering technical advice and are not participating in the hostage hunt. 

Speaking to a radio station by telephone on Thursday, rebel leader Abu Sabaya threatened to "chop the heads off the Americans in 72 hours" unless the Philippine government appoints two Malaysian negotiators to mediate their release. The Philippine government has vowed not to offer ransom for the hostages.

The Abu Sayyaf has repeatedly vowed to kill foreign hostages in the past but has not carried out the threat. The Malaysians Sabaya wants as mediators, lawmaker Sairin Karno and merchant Yusof Hamdan, were involved in negotiations last year when the Abu Sayyaf released foreign hostages taken from a Malaysian resort, reportedly for millions of dollars in ransom. Several hundred fresh troops arrived Friday on Basilan, 560 miles south of Manila, to join the search...

05 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Army Clashes With Rebels

Amid reports that the rebels have made contact with a government negotiator in an attempt to end the standoff, security forces have clashed with Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels who are holding a number of hostages on the southern island of Basilan. The military said two soldiers were killed during the shootout which ensued when the army - which had lost the rebels after a battle on Sunday - tracked them down on the lower slopes of a mountain on Basilan. The army said it believed that all the remaining hostages were still alive. A spokesman for the Philippines president said that one of the rebel leaders, Abu Sabaya, made contact with a government-designated intermediary.

04 June 2001

PHILIPPINES: 

Army Loses Rebels Trail

After they escaped a shootout over the weekend, dragging hostages with them into the jungle, the Philippines military has admitted losing track of a group of Abu Sayyaf rebels. An army spokesman said the rebels were in the jungle somewhere near the town of Lamitan on the southern island of Basilan, but their exact location remains unknown. Troops are looking for them.

A military spokesman urged the government in Manila to declare a state of emergency. He said the 100 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas would be using a network of sympathizers and supply caches to make their way through the jungle. He said that they would probably be aiming to escape to their main base on Jolo island...

03 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Bodies Of Two Hostages Found

The bodies of two hostages held by Muslim extremists were found on Sunday after a group of rebels escaped from a hospital where they had been besieged by government troops, taking several captives with them. One of the corpses was headless. About 60 Abu Sayyaf rebels used their hostages as human shields to flee the hospital on Basilan Island when 100 other guerrillas attacked soldiers from a nearby jungle, inflicting heavy casualties. The military said the terrorists took three American hostages with them.

At least five Filipino captives escaped during the fighting between the rebels and government troops. But officials say they found the bodies of two Filipino hostages left behind by the rebels. One had been beheaded.

Police said the two men had been killed a day or two earlier, probably as the army pursued the kidnappers into the town of Lamitan, on Basilan Island, on Friday. Hundreds of government troops had besieged them at a hospital and church compound. A spokesman for the Philippines' armed forces said 12 soldiers, including an army captain, were killed and many others wounded in the failed siege.

The rebels staged their break-out during the night, leaving a few members of their group behind to keep the troops at bay. Abu Sayyaf were reported to have seized more hostages on Saturday when they moved into Lamitan, about 550 miles south of Manila.

02 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Military Battles Kidnappers

Government security forces attacked a hospital where dozens of Muslim extremists were barricaded with captives on Saturday, pounding the building with rockets and machine-gun fire in an effort to end the latest hostage crisis and destroy the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

In one attack, at least two helicopter gunships fired at the hospital nonstop for 30 minutes as ground troops targeted the building from surrounding streets. Witnesses said at least one of the hostages inside was an American. Other reports said all three were there. Officials said about 40 Abu Sayyaf rebels were holding doctors and patients in the hospital on Basilan Island, along with some of the 20 hostages that members of the extremist group seized Sunday at a resort hundreds of miles away across the Sulu Sea.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels say they are holding 200 people captive in a church and hospital in the town of Lamitan, about 550 miles south of Manila. Troops have surrounded the area, and are calling on the rebels to surrender. The government says six soldiers have been killed and 41 have been wounded in the military operations so far. There is no word on the rebel losses.

At least four Filipinos reportedly managed to escape in the confusion. There was no confirmed news on the whereabouts of the other 16 hostages. Three Filipino tourists, including an eight-year-old boy, and a hotel security guard kidnapped last Sunday managed to escape along with some of those captured in Lamitan earlier in the day.

President Gloria Arroyo announced on television on Saturday that the highest ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Khadaffy Janjalani, was killed in the battle with government troops on the southern island of Basilan. She said he was killed in the town of Tuburan in Basilan. Another Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sabaya, who also doubles as the group's spokesman, was wounded.

01 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Philippine Soldiers Reportedly Killed As Army and Kidnappers Clash; Two Hostages Wounded??

The military said that two soldiers were killed and 14 others were wounded when Muslim extremists holding three American tourists and 17 Filipinos hostage clashed on Friday. Government troops were said to be fighting a "running gun battle" with the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who were moving south on Basilan Island in the southern Philippines and were about four miles from the sea.

It was unclear whether the rebels also suffered losses in the clashes, which, according to the military, took place over several hours. A military spokesman said a "running firefight of that length must have resulted in heavy casualties" for the rebels. Rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya had earlier told a local radio station by telephone that two hostages had been hit in the assault, but did not identify them. Abu Sabaya reiterated the rebels' threat to kill hostages if attacked. He said: "Maybe we will stage an execution. Welcome to the party." The rebel also put one hostage on the phone, who appealed for the end to the military assault.

The military has pledged to continue the fighting, which began at around 07:00 hours local time on Friday (23:00 GMT on Thursday). Troops were said to be following the 100-odd rebels in rough jungle terrain, in a valley between mountains. The military said it had no information about the hostages and said the rebels were using grenade-launchers.

Observers saw helicopter gunships hammering Mount Sinangkapan on the island. At least four explosions were heard, and nearby residents said they heard howitzers fire 10 to 15 shells earlier in the day. The Muslim separatist group are reportedly well-equipped with bazookas, mortars and Uzi assault rifles - apparently bought last year with huge ransom payments from another high-profile hostage crisis, when foreign tourists were held for several months.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has made it clear that she would not negotiate with the rebels or pay a ransom for the return of the hostages. She has vowed to destroy the rebels, and the military deployed 5,000 troops on Thursday in an effort to find the guerrillas. 

31 May 2001

30 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

US Said To Offer Assistance In Hostage Crisis

As Philippine troops searched dozens of islands in the south of the country, United States officials called on President Gloria Arroyo to discuss the crisis and to offer assistance. The US has reportedly offered to help solve the Philippines hostage crisis in which 20 people, including three Americans, were seized from a beach resort in the south of the country. Officials did not provide details of how the US could assist, but said intelligence gathering rather than military aid would be given.

The Philippines government has deployed troops to find the hostages, who were seized by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from the Dos Palmas resort on Palawan Island. Arroyo has refused to bargain with the hostage-takers, vowing to destroy the Abu Sayyaf. The rebels have reportedly split the hostages into three groups and taken the groups to different places...

29 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Lives Of Hostages Threatened By Philippine Extremists; Philippine President Vows to "Wipe Out" Terrorists

After the Philippine president vowed to crush the group, the Abu Sayyaf militants threatened to kill all 20 hostages it has if it spots the government trying to launch a rescue attempt. The Muslim extremist group snatched 20 people, including three Americans, from an island resort. The Philippine military said on Tuesday it was preparing troops to take action swiftly once it locates the kidnappers, who disappeared in boats speeding across the Sulu Sea after seizing the Americans and 17 Filipinos.

Abu Sabaya, a spokesman for the kidnapping group, was quoted as saying by a local radio station: "We will not think twice to have a mass killing of the hostages once the military will launch an all-out offensive." The manager of the station said that Abu Sabaya had admitted that his group was feeling the pressure of increased military operations.