The Philippine military authority on Monday said that the scale and influence of violent rebel group Abu Sayyaf in the south has dwindled in 2007 due to strengthened military operations to eradicate them.
The military estimated the number of Abu Sayyaf members, at the year-end, stood at 379, down 16 percent from a year before, local television network ABS-CBN News said in an online report, adding that 67 Abu Sayyaf members were killed, 75 others captured while two surrendered to the government.
The high-profile fatalities included the group's second-in-command, Jainal Antel Sali alias Abu Solaiman, who was killed in an elite army raid of the rebel group's strong-hold in Sulu province of the southern Mindanao region.
According to the army's year-end report, the government troops and the Abu Sayyaf clashed 53 times throughout the year, of which 41 were initiated by the military while 12 were initiated by the extremists.
The encounters also helped the military round in about 29 high-powered and 20 low-powered firearms.
Abu Sayyaf is a violent rebel group based in southern Philippines. The U.S. named the group in the list of international terrorist organizations. The Philippine government has made Al Qaeda No. 1 threat to the country's stability and vowed to root out the group by 2010 when the president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo'stenure ends.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article