Is Abu leader dead in airstrike? AFP still uncertain

The military is uncertain about the fate of Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office chief, said they are uncertain if Indama was among the 20 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in the airstrike in Sumisip town last Thursday.

Col. Juvymax Uy, commander of Joint Task Force Basilan, reported the other day that 20 Abu Sayyaf bandits of the group led by Indama were killed in the airstrike that was followed by artillery barrage at their camp in Barangay Pamatsaken.

Troops, however, failed to recover any casualty from the scene.

What were left of the camp were personal belongings inside bullet-riddled tents and food, indicating the bandits were caught unprepared by the airstrike while having breakfast.

Military informants, however, did not mention Indama. They said the bandits who survived the attack were able to drag away the bodies of their dead comrades.

Arevalo said he is still waiting for an update.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., commander of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said intelligence reports indicate the Abu Sayyaf has split up into several groups in an effort to divide the attention of the troops pursuing them.

Galvez said the Abu Sayyaf also split their captives into several groups.

The captives who are believed to still be in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu include a Dutch, seven Indonesians, 12 Vietnamese and seven Filipinos.

Galvez said information from the Abu Sayyaf militants who have surrendered provided the lead on the possible locations of the hostages and their captors.

Galvez said about 47 Abu Sayyaf from Sulu and Basilan have so far surrendered.

“The troops under the Joint Task Force Sulu led by Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana continued its focus of military operations to pressure the Abu Sayyaf group to yield and release all their hostages,” Galvez said.

Ulama summit

Meanwhile, the military spearheaded the launching of the Ulama summit last Friday to counter the monitored recruitment of fighters for the Islamic State (IS).

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said around 300 Muslim religious leaders attended the summit that was also organized by national government agencies, foreign and local stakeholders.

Galvez was the keynote speaker of the three-day event.

He discussed with key Muslim religious leaders the current terrorism and security concerns in Mindanao.

“Security is a shared responsibility that needs sustainment of partnership between different stakeholders, security sectors, the local government units, the academe and religious sectors and other stakeholders to defeat the threat of terrorism in Southern Philippines,” Galvez said. Calling for a united stand to combat threats of terror, Galvez en joined Muslim religious leaders and all the stakeholders to condemn all acts of terror.