Troops capture Abu Sayyaf camp in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - - Government troops have captured the main camp of al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron in the mountain of Patikul, Sulu but two marines were wounded in the operation.

The military said the Marines have also recovered several improvised explosive devices (IED) set up by Abu Sayyaf militants as booby traps and landmines enroute to the main camp.

Brig. Gen. Martin Pinto, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, said the intense fighting sparked between the marines and the followers of Sahiron before the camp fell on Monday afternoon.

Pinto said the camp of Sahiron was fortified with connecting trenches and several IEDs were laid in all of its approaches that slowed down the troops.

“Our troops had to breach the enemy’s defenses and squeeze themselves to the complex terrain to be able to get close to the objective,” Pinto said in a statement.

The Marine official said the soldiers were able to enter the camp despite the terrain advantage and a number of advantage observation posts set up by the Abu Sayyaf group.

According to Pinto, the Marines inflicted undetermined casualties  and were checking whether one of those casualties was Sahiron, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader based in Sulu.

He said the advancing soldiers forced the group of Sahiron to retreat and scamper toward various directions, dragging away with them their killed and wounded compatriots.

Pinto said two soldiers were slightly wounded in the operation.

The military official also said there was no immediate information from the ground troops on the possible presence of any hostages being held by different sub-groups of the Abu Sayyaf during the encounter.

The military, however, believes the militants utilized the camp as one of the possible holding areas of their kidnap victims.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, earlier confirmed that the Abu Sayyaf is holding captive about 10 kidnap victims, including six foreigners.

Pinto said they are clearingseveral land mines and booby traps set up by the Abu Sayyaf in the camp.