→
Observers: other networks still at large in Indonesia
Author Archives: Joe Sklut
Philippines
Father Michael Sinnot, a 78-year-old Irish priest, was kidnapped by six armed Abu Sayyaf terrorists at his residence in Pagadian City on Mindanao island. The gunmen forced Father Sinnot into a minivan before fleeing the area on a boat.
→
Thai Foreign Ministry argues that insurgency is not a religious conflict
Indonesia
Indonesian police raided a house in the southern outskirts of Jakarta, killing two members of the Tandzim al-Qaedat Indonesia and discovering several small bombs. Killed were Syaifudin Djaelani and his brother, Mohamad Syahrir, who were suspected of recruiting the suicide bombers who bombed the Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta on July 17.
→
MILF seeks resumption of stalled peace talks
→
Indonesia assures support for peace process in Philippines
Thailand
A car bomb exploded outside a hotel in Narathiwat province, wounding at least 27 people and killing a Muslim woman. On Tuesday, another bomb attack in Pattani province wounded seven security volunteers. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will travel to southern Thailand next week in response to the dramatic recent spike in violence.
→
Philippine military casualities increasing in Sulu
Philippines
Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked military engineers who were repairing a bridge, killing one marine and wounding another in Sulu province. In Cotabato City, insurgents detonated a bomb made from a mortar shell along the side of the highway, causing little damage.
→
MILF seeks a suspension of Philippine military action in Sulu
→
Police officer and civilian killed in Thai South
→
72 hours in South Thailand
Philippines
Three thousand US troops will rotate to the Philippines for training and humanitarian support missions next week, sparking fears that US forces may be deployed to Sulu province in the wake of the deaths of two US soldiers. Despite an ongoing truce, MILF gunmen attacked and killed two farmers in North Cotabato.
Thailand
Islamic insurgents broke into a house in Pattani province, killing two men. Also in Pattani, the body of a Muslim man was discovered floating in a river. In Narathiwat province, a former local official and his nephew were killed by gunmen on motorcycles.
Thailand
Islamic terrorists shot and killed a Muslim army sergeant and his wife as they traveled home from work on a motorcycle in Yala province. A Muslim defense volunteer was also killed when a bomb exploded near a mosque in Yala province.
→
Philippine government files charges against Abu Sayyaf escapees
→
Links between terrorist groups in Southeast Asia evolved over the years
Philippines
The military is planning to send more troops to Jolo island to combat Abu Sayyaf terrorists due to an increase in violence in recent days. The military also announced that three school teachers who were kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay province and held hostage for six months were released.
→
Philippine military attacks Abu Sayyaf encampment in heavy fighting
Philippines
The military attacked a large gathering of Abu Sayyaf fighters in Sulu province, employing airstrikes and artillery to attempt to serve warrants on three Abu Sayyaf commanders. The military has sustained its offensive against Abu Sayyaf despite the holy month of Ramadan.
→
Moro Islamic Liberation Front refuses to surrender wanted commanders
→
Jemaah Islamiyah’s goal: a Southeast Asian Islamic superstate
Philippines
Two people were killed and 15 more were wounded in a grenade attack at a carnival on Jolo island by suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists. Ten Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters surrendered to the military in Mindanao, handing over a variety of small arms and ammunition.
Thailand
Three Muslim men were killed and seven others were wounded in four separate shootings and a roadside bomb attack in Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala provinces. Despite violence in the southern provinces, economists predict that the Thai economy will dramatically recover and expand next year.
Philippines
Jahid Susukan, an Abu Sayyaf leader with a large bounty on his head, was arrested at the port of Zamboanga on Sept. 9 on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of 21 tourists at a resort in Malaysia in 2000. The government announced that it expected peace talks with MILF to resume after Ramadan.
→
MILF demands Philippine military to clear unexploded ordinance
→
Philippines to boost security of American troops deployed to Mindanao
Thailand
Muslim insurgents ambushed soldiers after they ate a fast-breaking dinner at a mosque in Yala province, killing five troops. On Saturday, five civilians were also killed in Yala province, including a teenage rubber worker who was killed and set on fire.
Thailand
Muslim separatists shot a Buddhist defense volunteer and lit his body on fire in front of terrified onlookers in Pattani province. Also in Pattani, terrorists threw a bomb in a restaurant, wounding five civilians. Two Deputy Village Chiefs were also shot to death, one in Pattani and the other in Songkhla province.
Philippines
US military presence in the Philippines will be a hot issue in the country’s elections