Our blogs about
America's Wars
War on Iraq
War on Drugs
War on Afghanistan
War on Columbia
War on Philippines
War on Venezuela

More
Matrix Masters
Blogs
World Events
US News
Science & Health
Earth News
Free Speech
News from Africa
News from Palestine
Bill of Rights Under Attack

Matrix Masters'
SUPPORTERS

Lorenzo's
Random Musings
. . . about Chaos,
Reason, and Hope

 

Fierce fighting in Philippines
(BBC News, 2 August 2006)
The Philippine military says five members of the Muslim group the Abu Sayyaf have been killed in fierce fighting in the south of the country. . . . Rockets have been fired and bombs dropped on a base of suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo island. . . . The army says five soldiers were wounded and a civilian guide was killed in the clashes, which started on Tuesday. . . . The casualties cannot be independently confirmed. . . . Heavy fighting broke out on Jolo after soldiers caught up with militants fleeing the air strikes on their camp. . . . The United States believes two main suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings - Dulmatin and Umar Patek - are also hiding in the south. The Philippine military says it is confident it will flush them and Abu Sayyaf's leader, Khaddafy Janjalani, out of Jolo. . . . Abu Sayyaf is the smallest of four Muslim rebel groups in the Philippines with around 400 members. . . . Muslim separatists have been fighting in the south since the 1960s for greater independence from the mainly Catholic government in Manila. . . . The conflict has killed over 120,000 people and stunted development in the area, which is rich in natural resources.

posted by LoZo 10:23 AM