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US
Green Berets Joining Hunt For Abu Sayyaf
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U.S. special forces soldier lecturing Filipino troops during
joint U.S.-Philippine military training exercises on Basilan
Island. |
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Correspondent in South Asia
JAKARTA,
March 23 (IslamOnline) – U.S. Special Forces are expected to join
Philippine troops in hunting down Abu Sayyaf rebels in Basilan and
rescuing an American missionary couple now on their ninth month of
captivity, news report said on Saturday.
This
is not the first time that the U.S. said it will allow troops to be
involved in the search and rescue operation of two American citizens
held hostage by Muslim rebels in the
Philippines.
The
news report indicates that the U.S. will allow its troops to
altogether join the local military forces in search and destroy
operations in order to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf.
The
Philippines military, the report said, has denied the information
but did not discount the possibility of Americans engaging in direct
battle to rescue Martin and Grace Burnyham who are from Texas and
Deborah Yap, who is a Filipina nurse.
On
Thursday, two U.S. teams of Green Berets were involved in the
Lantawan clash that wounded seven Scout Rangers. Heavy fighting
continued for hours but the U.S. and Philippines led troops could
not resist the large Abu Sayyaf formation that was in the region.
They
managed to flee and elude the military once again,
frustrating the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration over the army's
failure to deal with the kidnap gang.
Earlier
Filipino and U.S. officials stressed that U.S. soldiers were not in
the field for combat, but only “to assess the training needs” of
Filipinos.
However,
on Thursday there was an extraordinary number of Green Berets around
the battle scene, indicating that the “war games” have entered a
new phase.
About
30 U.S. Green Berets were split into two groups “to go with the
two platoons” of Scout Rangers, after a tip on rebel presence in Barangay Bauwisan.
But
before Green Berets reached the site, the first Ranger group had
already engaged the group of Abu Sayyaf Commander Isnilon Hapilon.
The
Rangers apparently stumbled on what they believed to be the main Abu
Sayyaf force in Basilan.
Soldiers
who later entered the rebels’ makeshift camp in Tairan Plantation,
Sitio Lubuk, Bulanza, Lantawan, said they recovered clothing
indicating the group was holding the Burnhams.
However
the military and local intelligence does not have any idea where the
Burnhams actually are. Sources said a week ago the two Americans and
the Filipino nurse were moved to Maguindanao while the Abu sayyaf
were fleeing army troops.
For
the past two days, U.S. Special Forces have also been doing jump-off
para-dives at a military camp in Basilan. The group has focused on
HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) drop, which is suited for covert
jungle insertions.
The
idea is that the troops would be parachuted near Abu Sayyaf lairs in
order to have direct contact with them. The U.S. troops will be
equipped with weapons that are needed in guerrilla operations, the
news report from Manila said.
The
Abu Sayyaf became prominent in the year 2000 when it seized dozens
of Europeans and South East Asians as hostages on the Island of
Palawan, Malaysia.
Since
then it has been a cat and mouse game between the army and the
rebels, who are well versed with the rugged terrain of Basilan the
military said.
The
U.S. has branded the Abu Sayyaf group as a terror organization
linked to the al-Qaida organization of Osama Bin Laden.
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