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No Ramadan let-up for Muslim militants: military

09/12 5:31:36 PM

ZAMBOANGA (AFP) - The Philippine military will continue its offensive against Al Qaeda-linked militants during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

Some 5,000 troops backed by intelligence gathering from the United States military have been locked in intense fighting with Abu Sayyaf militants thought to be sheltering Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bombers on the southern island of Jolo.

"The operation will continue without let up even during Ramadan," said regional miltiary spokesman Major Eugene Batara referring to the Muslim holy month which runs from September 24 until October 24.

"The Abu Sayyaf has used Ramadan in the past as a cover to consolidate forces and plan attacks and we will not allow this to happen again," he said.

Eight soldiers have been killed and some 20 others injured in a series of clashes with Abu Sayyaf gunmen holding out in thick mountainous jungle last week.

Government estimates put the number of Abu Sayyaf casualties in the dozens, including the Islamic extremist group's leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, who is said to have been wounded in the fighting.

Batara said clashes were still continuing on Jolo, but there were no immediate reports of fresh casualties.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of self-styled Islamic militants linked by US and regional intelligence experts to the Al Qaeda.

It is wanted for the Philippines' worst terrorist attacks, and for the deaths of two Americans it kidnapped in 2001.

A massive land, air and sea assault was launched last month after the military said the group was sheltering JI militants Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who are wanted for the 2002 night club bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali which killed 202 people.

The US government has placed a bounty totalling 11 million dollars on their heads.

US troops are providing intelligence information to the Filipino military, but are not engaged in actual combat operations on the ground, officials said.

JI is an Al-Qaeda-linked Southeast Asian terror network.



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