Philippine Troops Said Closing In
By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press Writer
JOLO, Philippines (AP) -
Thousands of troops backed by attack helicopters closed in Sunday on a group of Muslim
rebels fleeing with an American hostage in the hills of a southern Philippine island,
officials said.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels holding
Jeffrey Schilling were attempting to reach a beach to escape from Jolo island, Vice
Governor Munib Estino said.
The pursuit of the rebels
resumed after local mayors in the township of Luuk failed Friday to convince the
guerrillas to release Schilling, Estino said.
Schilling, 24, of Oakland,
California, is being held by a rebel faction led by Abu Sabaya. Separate factions are
believed to be holding three Malaysians and 13 Filipinos.
About 2,000 troops backed by
howitzers, artillery, and attack helicopters were closing in on the 500 rebels in Sabaya's
group, armed with M-60 machine guns and bazookas, Estino said.
Residents of Luuk said they saw
Schilling being led by the rebels, his ankles and wrists tied with ropes.
The separatist Abu Sayyaf have
kidnapped scores of people since March. Most have been released, with Libya and Malaysia
reportedly paying more than $15 million to free 19 foreigners.
The government halted talks and
attacked the rebels on Sept. 16 after they kidnapped more people despite a promise to halt
abductions while negotiations were underway.
Schilling, who converted to
Islam in 1994, was abducted four weeks ago when he visited a rebel camp with his Filipino
wife, who is Sabaya's second cousin. He says the rebels seized him after they argued over
politics and religion.
The military assault on the
rebels has destroyed at least two villages and sent more than 14,000 people fleeing from
their homes, officials said.
The military, which has tightly
controlled information about the attack, insists only two civilians have been killed
despite numerous unconfirmed reports of many civilian casualties.
Nelsa Amin, a provincial health
official, said villagers have been afraid to report deaths caused by the attack.
``They refuse to provide names
or details,'' she said. ``We are expecting more casualties but we cannot enter some areas.
We need military permission.''
She appealed to the military
for a brief cease-fire so that medical personnel can check for injured civilians and treat
them.
``If they can finish off the
Abu Sayyaf, that's fine, but they should not let injured people suffer more,'' she said.
On Saturday, the military
reported the first death of a soldier and said a rebel commander, Radullan Sahiron, had
been seriously injured. Three other rebels were killed, bringing the confirmed guerrilla
death toll to 28, with 60 others believed dead, it said.
The military has prevented most
journalists from traveling to Jolo to cover the assault and has cut most communications
and transportation links with the island.
The military estimated when the
attack began that it would be over in three to six days.
So far, the main success of the
nine-day assault has been the escape last Tuesday of two French journalists who were
seized in early July.
The government's decision to
attack the rebels has been widely supported by Filipinos.
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