AFP maintains extreme alert

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Military officials maintained the extreme alert status of all forces in western Mindanao as offensive operations were intensified against the Abu Sayyaf and the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Sulu.

Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), ordered thousands of troops now in Sulu to continue the search for Indonesian bomb experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek, both JI members wanted for the 2002 Bali bombings in Bali, Indonesia that killed 202 people. The Abu Sayyaf led by Khadaffy Janjalani is protecting the Indonesian terrorists. The US government has offered a $10-million reward for the capture of Dulmatin while Patek has a $1-million bounty for his capture.

"The extreme alert is still there. We have not captured the leaders of the terrorists," Maj. Eugene Batara, Wesmincom spokesman, said.

Batara said an order to maintain the alert level was made after five Abu Sayyaf bandits and an Indonesian identified only as Gufran were killed last Jan. 6 after a sea chase off Tawi-Tawi.

The terrorists were fleeing Sulu headed for Sabah after breaking the naval blockade when seaborne troops spotted them.

Batara said Naval Forces Western Mindanao, under Commodore Geronimo Defensor, and the 3rd Tactical Operation Wing (TOW) of the Air Force have intensified patrols around Sulu and Navy units were ordered to inspect boats with suspicious-looking passengers.

Batara said the security alert in the Zamboanga peninsula would prevent terrorists from conducting bombings to divert military attention from the offensive operations in Sulu.

Soldiers belonging to the anti-terror unit Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ) have recovered a fragmentation grenade left along a street in Zamboanga City.

Batara said the continued operations against the Abu Sayyaf and JI groups have forced the militants to disperse and hide in different areas.

He said the traditional camps of the Abu Sayyaf groups are now occupied by military forces.

"Their foods and other logistic supply are now scarce prompting the group to conduct diversionary attacks for them to breach the government forces," Batara said.

Meanwhile, suspected assassins of the Abu Sayyaf gunned down

a civilian intelligence agent of the Army in a remote village in Basilan.

The victim was identified as Antonio Corpuz, an alleged agent of the 18th Infantry Battalion.

Batara said Corpuz was attacked by two unidentified gunmen on

board a motorcycle last Friday in sitio Gubawang, Barangay Limuok in Lamitan.

"He (Corpuz) was on a mission when the Abu Sayyaf liquidation squad attacked him," Batara said. The suspects also took the .45 caliber pistol of Corpuz before they escaped.

The military has received information that Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon is now hiding in Basilan after escaping the military dragnet in Sulu.

Hapilon is included in the US government wanted list along with Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, and Jainal Antel Sali Jr. alias Abu Solaiman who are wanted for the kidnapping and killing of Americans abducted from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan almost six years ago.

Janjalani and Abu Solaiman are carrying up to $5-million dollars reward for their capture.