Army troops pursuing ASG, JI to get holiday break

Marines were sent to Sulu to allow Army troops hunting down terrorists in the jungles of that province to get a respite from the fighting during the Christmas holidays.

However, Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, Armed Forces public information chief, said military operations will continue during the holidays until Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and Jemaah Islamiyah bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek are captured.

"Kailangan may respite din yung mga dating tropang nandun, without losing grounds so with the additional (troops), it will provide additional forces tracking them and a little break for forces that were earlier deployed there," he said.

The 650 Marines will temporarily take over some of the Army troops searching for the terrorist leaders who are believed to be holding out in the jungles of Sulu, Bacarro said.

About 8,000 government troops are hunting down Janjalani, Patek and Dulmatin and more than 200 of their followers since Oplan Ultimatum took effect last Aug. 1.

Dulmatin and Patek are linked to the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia that killed more than 200 people.

The US government is offering $10 million for the capture of Dulmatin, and a $1 million-bounty for Patek.

The Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf are believed to be linked with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network, which was believed responsible for terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

Meanwhile, Bacarro said there will be no ceasefire with the New People’s Army during the holidays since it is considered a terrorist group.

However, the declaration of a ceasefire will depend on the political leadership, he added.

The military will comply if the government would declare a truce with the NPA during the holiday season, Bacarro said.