THE military pounded Abu Sayyaf encampments in Basilan island in a bid to crush some 150 extremists believed to be led by Furuji Indama and Isnilon Hapilon, the military said Wednesday.
“We haven’t had a battle damage assessment but the pounding continuous there up to now,” Major Felimon Tan Jr. of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said Tuesday.
He said the groups of Isnilon and Indama initially tried to enter the village Magkawa of Al-barka, Basilan but the residents resisted and called for military resistance.
“They tried to get near one area but the people resisted. They tried to defend themselves. You already know that even small villages in Basilan are armed. So there was a gunfight there,” Tan said.
“From there, the enemies begun to make bunkers and they tried to build that up until we located them. That is what we’re pounding now,” said Tan.
“At first, only the group of Indama was there but before long the group of Hapilon joined in. Actually, that’s also good so they will die together,” he said.
From time to time, Tan said the military would inset more troops in certain positions around the Abu Sayyaf and this was followed again by heavy artillery fire.
The military offensive started on Sunday with a series of airstrikes and artillery fire while troops of the 18th Infantry Battalion engaged them in a series of battles.
Focused military operations are currently being intensified in all efforts of the military to neutralize the ASG based in the province of Basilan.
In Sulu, troops continue to operate in an area where kidnap victim Kjartan Sekkingstand is known to be located.
“As to the report that the kidnap victim will be beheaded anytime, we cannot confirm or deny that. The troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu continue to conduct focused military operations where intelligence reports point operations should be conducted,” Tan said.
Tan said they have no new report so far except from a newspaper report regarding negotiations being done reportedly by Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and a certain ASG spokesman to save the life of Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad.
The ASG supposedly deferred the beheading of Sekkingstad pending negotiation for a P300 million ransom but Dureza reportedly insisted the government can only negotiate for the safe release of the captive without ransom.
He said the military has already pinpointed the “general area” were the bandits are hiding Sekkingstad, the only remaining captive of the four who were abducted by armed men in September last year at a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal and brought to Sulu.
Just recently, the only female in the group, Filipina Marites Flor, was released unharmed by the ASG amid reports of ransom payment.
Before her release, the ASG beheaded Flor’s fiancé, Canadian Robert Hall, on June 13. On April 26, John Ridsdel, Canadian, was beheaded.
Originally, the ASG demanded P1 billion for each of the three foreign captives for their safe release. This was reduced to P300 million each.