Some recent news, horribly tragic from the look of it.
Now, it is par for the course for terrorists of any ilk to prey on noncombatants as they seek "freedom", "independent rule" and whatnot. However, what connection do Philipine Moros have with the NYC bombers to make them issue such impossible to fill demands? Has the jungle heat been getting to these boys or are they attempting to score brownie points with Muslim tangoes around the world?
Jeff
Two Philippine Headless Bodies Found
By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer
TALIPAO, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine troops found two headless bodies today near the former stronghold of a group of Muslim rebels, indicating the rebels were telling the truth when they claimed to have beheaded two hostages, an official said.
Soldiers on patrol near the former Abu Sayyaf rebel camp in southern Basilan province found what appeared to be a shallow grave. They dug it up and found two headless male bodies whose hands were tied, said Col. Fernando Bajed of the army's 103rd brigade. The rebels seized about 50 hostages, including many children, from two schools in March. They released about 20 of them, but then, two weeks ago, they announced they had beheaded two teachers because the government had ignored their demands.
Though the rebels presented no proof that they had killed the teachers, the military responded to the claim by attacking the group's stronghold on April 22.
The kidnappers fled with their remaining 27 hostages last weekend just before their camp was overrun by the military. Pursuing soldiers later rescued 15 of the hostages, but four others were killed by the rebels. The guerrillas are believed to be still holding about eight people. The rebels are fighting for a separate Islamic nation in the southern Philippines. In exchange for the hostages, they had demanded the release of three terrorists from U.S. jails, including Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center. Also today, soldiers on a neighboring island tried to head off another group of hostage-taking rebels who broke through military lines and were believed to be escaping with their 21 captives, military officials said. The officials confirmed that at least some of the Abu Sayyaf rebels had slipped through a military cordon around the area in Talipao. The rebels -- who abducted 10 foreign tourists and 11 other people from a resort in neighboring Malaysia on April 23 -- were believed to be taking the hostages into the hills of Patikul town, the officials said. Two soldiers were killed and six wounded in four separate clashes with the rebels in Talipao on Friday, the military's Southern Command said. Government envoys made contact with the rebels today and hoped to open formal negotiations later in the day, said Yusop Jikiri, an aide to the government's negotiator. The rebels were supposed to submit written demands today, government negotiator Nur Misuari said, but the clashes could mean a delay.
''These people are now on the run, trying to look for a new place to keep their hostages,'' Misuari said. ''For us to commence any formal talks, we need what they call a climate of confidence that there would be no betrayal.''
Forty-six more boxes of food and medicine were to be sent to the hostages, including Coca-Cola from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, he said.
Representatives of the negotiators who visited the rebels Thursday said the guerrillas were already outside the military cordon and had all 21 captives with them. The accounts contradicted earlier reports that some of the hostages had either died or escaped. Contacts between the kidnappers and negotiators were cut last week after hundreds of troops encircled the area where the hostages had been held in a small bamboo hut. A series of clashes erupted on Tuesday and Wednesday as the rebels attempted to escape. The 21 hostages include three Germans, two French nationals, two South Africans, two Finns and one Lebanese in addition to 10 Malaysians and one Filipino. Several of the hostages' governments have urged restraint by the military and called for a peaceful solution. Meanwhile, in the latest violence in the southern Philippines, two bus bombs killed six people and injured 35 more this afternoon, DXJM Radio in Butuan and hospital staff said. A larger bomb was found in a third bus and defused.
Yet another bomb was found on a bus this evening in the southern city of Davao. The chief of the city's anti-terrorist unit was seriously injured trying to detonate it, authorities said.
Criminal gangs here sometimes bomb buses to extort money from companies. But the military blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a larger Muslim rebel group, for other explosions in recent days.
Now, it is par for the course for terrorists of any ilk to prey on noncombatants as they seek "freedom", "independent rule" and whatnot. However, what connection do Philipine Moros have with the NYC bombers to make them issue such impossible to fill demands? Has the jungle heat been getting to these boys or are they attempting to score brownie points with Muslim tangoes around the world?
Jeff
Two Philippine Headless Bodies Found
By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer
TALIPAO, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine troops found two headless bodies today near the former stronghold of a group of Muslim rebels, indicating the rebels were telling the truth when they claimed to have beheaded two hostages, an official said.
Soldiers on patrol near the former Abu Sayyaf rebel camp in southern Basilan province found what appeared to be a shallow grave. They dug it up and found two headless male bodies whose hands were tied, said Col. Fernando Bajed of the army's 103rd brigade. The rebels seized about 50 hostages, including many children, from two schools in March. They released about 20 of them, but then, two weeks ago, they announced they had beheaded two teachers because the government had ignored their demands.
Though the rebels presented no proof that they had killed the teachers, the military responded to the claim by attacking the group's stronghold on April 22.
The kidnappers fled with their remaining 27 hostages last weekend just before their camp was overrun by the military. Pursuing soldiers later rescued 15 of the hostages, but four others were killed by the rebels. The guerrillas are believed to be still holding about eight people. The rebels are fighting for a separate Islamic nation in the southern Philippines. In exchange for the hostages, they had demanded the release of three terrorists from U.S. jails, including Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center. Also today, soldiers on a neighboring island tried to head off another group of hostage-taking rebels who broke through military lines and were believed to be escaping with their 21 captives, military officials said. The officials confirmed that at least some of the Abu Sayyaf rebels had slipped through a military cordon around the area in Talipao. The rebels -- who abducted 10 foreign tourists and 11 other people from a resort in neighboring Malaysia on April 23 -- were believed to be taking the hostages into the hills of Patikul town, the officials said. Two soldiers were killed and six wounded in four separate clashes with the rebels in Talipao on Friday, the military's Southern Command said. Government envoys made contact with the rebels today and hoped to open formal negotiations later in the day, said Yusop Jikiri, an aide to the government's negotiator. The rebels were supposed to submit written demands today, government negotiator Nur Misuari said, but the clashes could mean a delay.
''These people are now on the run, trying to look for a new place to keep their hostages,'' Misuari said. ''For us to commence any formal talks, we need what they call a climate of confidence that there would be no betrayal.''
Forty-six more boxes of food and medicine were to be sent to the hostages, including Coca-Cola from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, he said.
Representatives of the negotiators who visited the rebels Thursday said the guerrillas were already outside the military cordon and had all 21 captives with them. The accounts contradicted earlier reports that some of the hostages had either died or escaped. Contacts between the kidnappers and negotiators were cut last week after hundreds of troops encircled the area where the hostages had been held in a small bamboo hut. A series of clashes erupted on Tuesday and Wednesday as the rebels attempted to escape. The 21 hostages include three Germans, two French nationals, two South Africans, two Finns and one Lebanese in addition to 10 Malaysians and one Filipino. Several of the hostages' governments have urged restraint by the military and called for a peaceful solution. Meanwhile, in the latest violence in the southern Philippines, two bus bombs killed six people and injured 35 more this afternoon, DXJM Radio in Butuan and hospital staff said. A larger bomb was found in a third bus and defused.
Yet another bomb was found on a bus this evening in the southern city of Davao. The chief of the city's anti-terrorist unit was seriously injured trying to detonate it, authorities said.
Criminal gangs here sometimes bomb buses to extort money from companies. But the military blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a larger Muslim rebel group, for other explosions in recent days.