AFP AIR STRIKES KILLED TERROR LEADERS
[PHOTO - A member of
the police Special Action Force examines the site where three leaders of the Abu
Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah were killed in an airstrike in Sulu. AP]
MANILA,
FEBRUARY 4, 2012 (STAR) By
Alexis Romero and Roel Pareño - The military is preparing for possible
retaliation from terrorists in the wake of an air strike in Sulu last Thursday
that left three terror leaders and 12 of their followers dead.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Noel Coballes said
their troops had been alerted about the possible repercussion of their
operations against the militants, believed to be members of Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI) and the Abu Sayyaf group (ASG).
"Actually, we've alerted all our troops with regard to that even before the
execution of the plan. We have informed our commanders about the probable
repercussion or probable retaliation of the other groups," he said.
Coballes, however, said it remains uncertain if terrorists are really
planning to stage attacks to avenge the deaths of their comrades.
"We cannot say that they will do that but we have already prepared for any
probable retaliation," he said.
AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said some militants survived
last Thursday's air raid. Some of the survivors were Malaysian members of the JI
who entered the Philippines last December.
"Right now they (survivors) are disorganized. They are on the run. They are
subjects of our operations," Burgos said.
Burgos said last Thursday's operation targeted 30 terrorists. Eight of the 30
militants are believed to be members of the JI, which has links to international
terror cell al-Qaeda.
Two Air Force OV-10 planes with night flying capability launched the attack
at around 3 a.m. on Barangay Duyan Kabau in Parang town. Officials said the
terrorists were caught by surprise as they may have been asleep during the
attack.
Burgos said they will validate the identities of the slain terrorists through
DNA tests. He, however, admitted that the military has yet to secure the bodies
of the militants.
"We are still finding the bodies but we already know their location. We have
to coordinate with the relatives," he said. "(We are not) in possession (of the
bodies) right now. We already have their locations. That area is an MNLF (Moro
National Liberation Front) territory."
Burgos, however, maintained that they have validated the identities of 11 of
the 15 slain terrorists.
"We have assets in the area so we already have the confirmation," he said.
Burgos said they expect members of the MNLF to help in coordinating with the
families of the slain militants.
"We are expecting cooperation from MNLF. This is an endeavor to be done in
cooperation with civilian authorities," he said.
Blow to al-Qaeda
For AFP chief Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa, the al-Qaeda has suffered a major
setback with the killing of the JI and ASG leaders in Parang, Sulu on Thursday.
"Their loss was a big blow to their operation. They have lost their
strength," Dellosa said, stressing that the slain terror leaders were the
"center of their gravity."
"They controlled their people. Their killings caught the terror groups off
balance," Dellosa said in Filipino.
US embassy deputy chief of mission Leslie Basset also called the military
operation "a very serious blow against transnational terrorism."
Reported killed in the pre-dawn air strike were JI leaders Zulkipli bin Abdul
Hir alias Marwan, Muhamda Ali alias Muawiya and Muin Khalid, and Abu Sayyaf
leader Gumbali Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula.
The air strike killed 12 other terrorists, the military said.
Also killed in the raid were Indonesian JI members known only as Saad and
Hajan.
The slain Abu Sayyaf members include Abdulla Aziz, brother-in-law of Marwan,
Ben Wagas, Haiji Tatti, close aide of Dr. Abu Pula, Muammar, Apo Mike, Abu Daud,
Tuan Nas, alias Ainal, and a certain Sissan, a religious leader from Basilan.
The military said there was no doubt Abu Sayyaf and JI leaders and operatives
were killed in the pre-dawn raid last Thursday.
"The assets were very credible. But I don't want to elaborate the exact
details. The target is very accurate," Dellosa said.
Sulu 1st district Rep. Tupay Loong said there was "talk among the civilians
in the area" regarding the deaths of the ASG and JI leaders, including
foreigners.
He said considering the operation was done while it was still dark, the
remains of the slain terror leaders might have been carried away and buried by
their comrades according to Muslim beliefs.
Loong said he has yet to get word from the mayor of Parang, who is his
nephew, on the extent of the military operation and its effect on the area.
"If that will address national issue as far as security is concerned, that is
good… we have to congratulate the AFP," Loong said.
Coballes said the JI is joining forces with other Islamic extremist groups to
expand its presence and operations in Mindanao.
He also said they have received reports that 30 terrorists, including six
foreign JI militants, arrived in Sulu last December. This led the military to
hatch "Oplan Nemesis" aimed at neutralizing the militants.
"It was a high level planning which involved several options," Coballes said.
He said no ground troops took part in the operation to ensure an element of
surprise as well as avoid or minimize casualties.
He said other armed groups, including the MNLF, operate around the target
site.
He said OV-10 bronco planes with night flying capability took part in the
raid.
Meanwhile, the US embassy's Basset said they are leaving to the expertise of
the military the task of identifying the remains of the slain terrorist leaders
before deciding on the release of the bounties for the capture or neutralization
of the terrorist leaders.
Marwan, considered one of the top JI leaders in Southeast Asia following the
capture of Umar Patek in Pakistan, has a $5-million reward on his head.
Muawiya carries a $50,000 reward and Dr. Abu Pula, $140,000.
"We have yet to confirm the identities first and then work from there and
take that step working on (the rewards)," Basset said when asked about the
rewards for the neutralization of the terrorists.
Basset was in Zamboanga City to relay the gratitude of the US government and
the family of the American kidnap victims – mother and son Gerfa Yeatts Lunsman
and Kevin Eric – to Mayor Celso Lobregat for his role in their recovery.
Mrs. Lunsman was freed in October while her son escaped in December.
Sulu airstrike kills 3 terror leaders, 12 followers
By Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated February 03, 2012
12:00 AMComments (16)
MANILA, Philippines - Fifteen terrorists, including three of the most wanted
al-Qaeda-linked militants, were killed in an air strike staged by the military
yesterday morning in Parang, Sulu.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said among those
killed were Abu Sayyaf leader Gumbahali Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula,
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Zulkipli Bin Hir alias Marwan, and Muhammad Ali Bin
Abd Al-Rahman alias Mauwiyah.
Burgos said the air strike was conducted by an OV-10 plane at around 3 a.m.
at Barangay Duyan Kabau in Parang, Sulu. He said there was no resistance on the
part of the militants as they might have been sleeping during the raid.
"This would (have a) very big impact on the capability of the terrorists,"
said Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Noel Coballes.
"This is a deliberate, fully planned attack coming from our forces," he
added.
The 12 other slain terrorists have yet to be identified.
Abu is a Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf leader charged with 21 counts of kidnapping
and serious illegal detention. He provided medical assistance to injured
militants, earning him the title "doctor."
Abu was involved in the kidnapping incidents in Dos Palmas, Palawan in 2001
and in Sipadan, Malaysia in 2000.
Around 20 people, including Protestant missionaries Martin and Gracia
Burnham, were kidnapped by bandits during the Dos Palmas incident.
In 2002, Martin Burnham was killed during a rescue operation conducted by the
Army. His wife, Gracia, survived and wrote a book about her experience.
On the other hand, 21 people, mostly European tourists, were kidnapped in a
dive resort in Sipadan, Malaysia in April 2000. The victims were held by the Abu
Sayyaf for more than a year in the southern Philippines.
The Philippines and the United States have offered P7.4 million and $140,000,
respectively, for information that would lead to Abu's arrest.
On the other hand, Marwan was a Malaysian terrorist who served as the overall
leader of the JI in the Philippines.
A bomb expert, Marwan had been charged with multiple murder, multiple
frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder.
The US offered $5 million for his capture while the Philippines put up a
bounty of P7.4 million.
Mauwiyah is a Singaporean terrorist who served as contact of international
terrorist Umar Patek. He was a former member of the Singaporean military with a
rank of major. The US has offered $50,000 for his capture.
The Abu Sayyaf and the JI have links with international terror group
al-Qaeda.
'It took only seconds'
Burgos said the air strike was part of the "all-out justice" campaign against
lawless elements behind the death of 19 soldiers in Al Barka, Basilan last
October.
"The operation was a product of thorough intelligence gathering. It was
carefully planned and it only took seconds," he said.
Burgos said the air raid was conducted after civilians had reported the
presence of Abu Sayyaf and JI personalities in the area.
"We got this from the informers and the civilians cooperated with us. Based
on the reports, our troops entered the area and there was no resistance," he
said.
"We received reports that there were 30 terrorists, including six foreign JI
members, who arrived in Sulu in December last year."
Citing reports by field officers, Burgos said the operation was conducted in
thickly forested area filled with coconut trees.
The targets were believed to have been sleeping in a tent when they were
bombed by an OV-10 aircraft of the Air Force.
"I would like to make it clear that as of now, there was no reported civilian
casualty or collateral damage," Burgos said.
Horrible sight
Sulu Police Provincial director Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra told The
STAR that the sight was horrible.
"Coconut trees were snapped off and fell on the ground. All the green grass
turned brown due to the impact of the explosion."
Freyra, who was among the first to respond to the area and supervised the
after-attack operations including the documentation and taking of photographs,
said even the barracks of the group were shattered to pieces, as well as the
bodies of the fatalities. – With Roel Pareño, Cecille Suerte
Felipe, AP
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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