Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked an observation post manned by Marines in Sulu province on Monday; two troops and an undetermined number of militants were wounded. On Sunday, troops fought Abu Sayyaf in the village of Patibulan in Sulu province, killing at least one fighter. The military also engaged in an intense firefight with MNLF in […]
An M72 grenade was fired by Abu Sayyaf outside the Roman Catholic Mt. Carmel cathedral in downtown Jolo, causing minor damage. The intended target was likely a Marine unit stationed outside the cathedral. Roman Catholic priest Michael Sinnot is alive and still being held captive by Abu Sayyaf, despite reports of worsening health.
A marine offficer was killed and an enlisted marine was wounded when a bomb exploded as they were inspecting a water system in Sulu province. Abu Sayyaf sabotaged the pipeline in order to lure security forces to the site. MILF claimed they are close to discovering the location of Father Michael Sinnot, who was abducted […]
Abu Sayyaf terrorists abducted the principal of an elementary school in Sulu province as he was driving home with fellow school teachers. Gabriel Canizares, 36, was the only person abducted from the vehicle. The military is still searching for Father Michael Sinnot, who was abducted by Abu Sayyaf a week ago.
Abu Sayyaf bombed a bridge in the town of Talipao on Jolo island, causing minor damage. Abu Sayyaf has stepped up attacks on infrastructure, targeting another bridge and a telecommunications cell site earlier in the week.
Three Abu Sayyaf members were killed and five soldiers were wounded in a clash on Jolo island. Abu Sayyaf bombed a cell site owned by Smart Telecommunications in Sulu province, knocking out service for thousands of customers. The military said that Father Michael Sinnot is being held in the town of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in […]
The Philippine military has set up cordons on Mindanao island and dispatched four naval vessels to the surrounding waters to search for the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers of Father Michael Sinnot. Father Sinnot, an Irish priest, has been serving the people of the Philippines for over 40 years until he was abducted on Sunday.
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.
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.
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.
Two US sailors and a Philippine Marine were killed in an IED attack that destroyed their vehicle as they traveled on the southern Island of Jolo. The sailors were from the Naval Construction Battalions and were on a resupply mission for a school construction project. Abu Sayyaf was blamed for conducting teh attack.
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.
Eight Philippine troops were killed in an ambush by Abu Sayyaf fighters. The soldiers were returning to base from a mission in which they overran an Abu Sayyaf camp of 200 fighters near the town of Indanan on Jolo Island. Nineteen Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed in the Army assault on the camp, which was […]
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.
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.
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.
US military presence in the Philippines will be a hot issue in the country’s elections
Truce between MILF and Philippine government holds
The National Police announced that they were pursuing 44 Abu Sayyaf members who were involved in the 2001 abduction of tourists from a resort in Palawan and the 2000 abduction of civilians in Basilan. President Arroyo stated that Libya’s Qadaffi Foundation may invest in economic development in Mindanao.
Madhatta Haipe, an Abu Sayyaf terrorist who kidnapped American tourists in South Cotabato province in 1995, appeared before a federal court in Washington and was ordered held without bail. An IED planted by Abu Sayyaf wounded two Army engineers as they were on the way to a local mosque to pray in Sulu province. The […]
Abu Sayyaf leader extradited to US for kidnapping
Philippine military needs larger budget to modernize, says Defense Secretary
Police filed murder charges against 13 Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters in connection with the Aug. 12 battle with government forces that left 20 Marines and three soldiers dead. Despite the truce with MILF, police continue to hunt for three commanders who are wanted for attacks on civilian communities in Basilan and […]
Khalil Pareja, the leader of the Rajah Solaiman Movement, a group of Catholics who converted to Islam, was detained after police surrounded his hideout. The group has been behind some of the most deadly terror attacks in the Philippines.
US counterinsurgency unit to stay in Philippines
Seven Moro National Liberation Front fighters were killed when the military assaulted a school on the tiny island of Marabon, near the island of Palawan. One soldier was wounded and the military continued to search for MNLF fighters who escaped. MILF announced that it will not assist the government in operations against the terrorist group […]
Three Abu Sayyaf gunmen fired at two Air Force helicopters in Basilan province, damaging a helicopter carrying three journalists. The military is shipping more ammunition and other supplies to Mindanao to bolster the military as it continues to press for the destruction of Abu Sayyaf.
Philippine President Arroyo orders military to “annihilate” Abu Sayyaf
At least 31 Abu Sayyaf militants and 23 soldiers have been killed in intense combat in Basilan province as government troops sustained a massive offensive against terrorist encampments in the remote jungle. The military began the offensive against Abu Sayyaf last month, after Italian Red Cross worker Antonio Vagni was rescued from captivity.
In an early morning raid by the military on an Abu Sayyaf jungle encampment, 10 fighters were killed and an arsenal of improvised explosive devices was discovered and detonated. Ten other Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in a separate raid in Basilan province. Over 500 Army soldiers, marines, and police are engaged in an offensive […]