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July 15, 2006

Philippines: Islamist Killed In Shootout With Cops

News from the Filipino ABS-CBN states that two maritime policemen and a suspected Islamist from the group Abu Sayyaf were killed early yesterday in a gunfight at Zamboanga City port, on the northwestern tip of Mindanao, the large southern island of the Philippines.

The incident happened around 6.30 am, when the policeman attempted a body search, after a magazine for a .45 caliber pistol was found in a backpack he was carrying. "The man quickly pulled a pistol from under his shirt and shot the two policemen and a security guard. The assailant was later killed," stated the port police commander, Chief Inspector Francisco Clavecillas.

A Koran in Arabic was also recovered from the suspect. Clavecillas said: "The man was well trained in handling gun. He was quick and really trained to kill. He was a determined assassin and we suspect that he was a member of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. Investigations are still going on to determine his real identity. We have deployed additional forces to secure the port and the travelers."

Zamboanga is a busy port and has previously been bombed by members of Abu Sayyaf. The city has also been used a hideout for Abu Sayyaf members.

In separate news, AKI reports that there are plans to hold a combined Muslim and Christian festival on the island of Jolo, southwest of Mindanao.

Jolo is a small island in the maritime province of Sulu, and is regarded as a hometown of Abu Sayyaf, where its local leader is a one-armed horseman called Radullan Sahiron, who is notorious for beheading people.

The festival will be held at Jolo town, from today until tomorrow, to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Jolo's patron saint. The mayor of Jolo, Alkramier Izquierdo, said: "It is about time that we changed the image of our town and our province in general. And this festivity will be a very good venue where our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters can share on this beautiful and promising province."

At the end of last year, an insurgency was mounted against Filipino military stationed on the island, led by Radullan Sahiron's Abu Sayyaf rebels working in conjunction with rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front. The insurgency started on November 11

A truce was brokered in January by the leader of MNLF, Nur Misuari, who is currently in prison after he mounted an armed attack on an army base in Jolo in November 2001, which cost about a hundred lives.

The deal only affected MNLF members, and Radullan Sahiron, who is not known for making peace deals. On May 24 we reported that four soldiers had been killed on Jolo in separate incidents. Sahiron is responsible for at least 21 kidnapping and hostage-taking incidents, and has decapitated many local islanders whom he has seen as collaborators.

Gloria Arroyo was embarrassed last year, when security forces arrested an innocent one-armed man, assuming him to be the regional Abu Sayyaf leader.

There are more Muslims on Jolo than Christians, but Abu Sayyaf keeps the population in fear. Christians have been prime targets of Abu Sayyaf, which is linked to the more organised terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, which seeks to establish an Islamist state in southeast Asia.

On March 27 this year, a grocery store was blown up in Jolo town, killing two people and injuring seven more. AKI states that both Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah are presumed to have been involved.

But Mayor Izquirdo is optimistic about the Muslim and Christian festival, saying: "This is the right time that we can prove to them that Sulu is a safe place to live and its people are really friendly and hospitable to others."

He said the festival was being held on the principle of "Paghambuuk Sin Raayat ika Sambu Sin Daira Sug" - "Unity of the population towards the welfare of Sulu."

He said: "We are all Tausugs [native of Sulu] and that means both Muslims and Christians. We should work as one without allowing any religious differences to hinder us in achieving our dream of peace and prosperity."

The mayor said that several schools will participate, and the festival should become an annual event in the town.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 15, 2006 12:32 PM

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