Some hostages seen since Philippine military
assault: official
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, Sept 19
(AFP) - A senior official raised hopes Tuesday that at least some out of 22 hostages have
survived a military onslaught on their Muslim kidnappers in the southern Philippines.
Troops mounting a ground and
air attack in Jolo island since Saturday have seen some of the captives, presidential
spokesman Ricardo Puno said.
"We can't tell you who
among them, or how many or where they were seen," he told AFP. "But they are
alive."
The assault on Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas in Jolo island went into its fourth day Tuesday. Puno said the military
sightings were reported Monday but it was not clear on what day the hostages were seen.
Puno earlier Tuesday told radio
station DZMM the government believed all the hostages -- an American, two Frenchmen, three
Malaysians and 16 Filipinos -- were still alive.
He said of the reported
sightings: "So it seems it is true what others are saying, that the Abu Sayyaf will
not hurt their captives. Without those they don't have bargaining chips, no aces."
Puno said the captives had been
split among three factions and the military had identified three areas where the
guerrillas are located after fleeing the initial attack.
"The fighting continues
and they are still pursuing the Abu Sayyaf in the field," he said.
Two OV-10 aircraft took off
from an air force base in the southern city of Zamboanga Tuesday morning, each armed with
a 260 lb. (118-kg) bomb and M-60 machine guns. Two UH-1H helicopters took off before them.
After earlier official
predictions of a quick victory over the guerrillas whose kidnappings for ransom have
become a national embarrassment, Puno Tuesday suggested a longer campaign.
He described President Joseph
Estrada's order to crush the rebels and free the captives within a week as "only a
rough estimate" and said the timetable is up to the military commanders.
Puno also told the radio there
are "no 100 percent guarantees" of success in the rescue mission but added that
"for all intents and purposes the Abu Sayyaf is finished as a working kidnapping
organization.
"Now they are on the run.
They will not find sanctuary easily. Malaysia is waiting for them with shoot to kill
orders."
On the nearby Philippine island
of Basilan, Puno said, the hardline Governor Wahab Akbar was also waiting to receive them
should they breach a naval blockade around Jolo.
Military sources say eight Abu
Sayyaf have been killed and 20 captured while four soldiers and three policemen have been
wounded.
Four civilians are confirmed
killed but there are fears the toll in the interior of the jungle-clad island may be much
higher.
"We are calling for a
ceasefire so we could get wounded civilians out of the hinterlands," said Nelsa Amin,
provincial health officer of Jolo.
"There are many civilians
wounded after (the assault) but just cannot come out.
Amin, speaking in Zamboanga,
said the military told her any ceasefire must be studied carefully.
"I'm really worried about
the civilians," she told AFP. "We now have a lot of medical supplies, oxygen
tanks and many medicines."
Amin said some of the supplies
would be loaded onto planes and ships bound for Jolo on Tuesday, after the military
partially lifted its blockade.
Reports filtering out of Jolo
island said evacuees fleeing the violence in the hinterland were unable to get food or
medical aid because of a military cordon set up around the main town, Jolo. At least 5,000
have been displaced.
The crisis began on April 23
with the abduction of 21 people from a resort on Sipadan island in neighbouring Malaysia.
All but one of those captives
has been released but the Abu Sayyaf has been replenishing its pool of hostages even while
negotiating with the government.
On September 10 it seized three
Malaysians from another resort island, apparently triggering off the army assault.
The United States said Monday
it understood the risks involved in the operation and criticised the payment of
multi-million dollar ransoms for previous captives. But France has criticised the attack
and Germany expressed anxiety.
"They have to understand
there is public interest involved here," Puno said.
The assault upholds the
"interest of countries fighting terrorism," he added.
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