US military equipment start arriving in Jolo

JOLO, Sulu — Hundreds of residents watched in awe as tons of US military equipment arrived yesterday in this strife-torn island, a known hotbed of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist band.

About a dozen US troops aboard a Philippine Navy vessel arrived at the Chinese pier early yesterday morning to unload a container van, four Humvee vehicles, power generators and earth-moving equipment to be used by US forces later this month.

The Americans also brought medical supplies and other supplies and materials.

"The logistics are just the initial part of the equipment and material needed for the humanitarian and engineering mission we will be conducting in cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)," said Capt. Leo Lebriech of Joint Special Operation Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P).

Lebriech said the equipment will be dispatched to several areas of Sulu where the medical and engineering mission will be conducted.

"We are here for the humanitarian mission and engineering capabilities and nothing else," he said.

About 250 US soldiers will be participating in more than three weeks of development mission which AFP engineers have already laid out.

Heavy security was thrown around Jolo by the anti-terror Task Force Comet upon the arrival of the US military equipment.

Troops have been deployed in street corners of Jolo to ensure the security of American soldiers for fear that the Abu Sayyaf might attack the development mission.

Maj. Gamal Hayudini, Armed Forces Southern Command information chief, said two battalions of Filipino soldiers will be detailed as security to ensure the safety and success of the mission.

"We want to make sure the people will truly benefit (from) the humanitarian program intended for them," he said.

Some 250 soldiers are expected to take part in the exercise, which will focus on civic works and humanitarian activities for the impoverished residents, from Feb. 20 till March 5.

The Americans and their equipment were taken to a Philippine military camp, but it was unclear how long they would remain on the island, a scene of long running conflict between government troops and the Abu Sayyaf.

Just minutes before the Americans arrived, the head of police intelligence in Jolo, Henry Elumbaring was shot dead by a suspected Abu Sayyaf gunman as he was walking from his home just a short distance from the gates of a police camp.

His assailant fled into a nearby housing area, evading police who gave chase.

Elumbaring had played a key role in helping government forces track down members of the Abu Sayyaf, which has carried out mass kidnappings and bombing attacks against Christians and foreigners over the past decade.

The Abu Sayyaf has also killed about a dozen soldiers and civilians in Jolo since last year, despite a military crackdown.

The US State Department has tagged the Abu Sayyaf as a "foreign terrorist organization" and has put up millions of dollars in rewards for the capture of its leaders following the deaths of two US hostages at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf in 2001 and 2002. — With AFP