Three of the most wanted terrorists together with 12 of their followers were killed in a military airstrike in Sulu the other day, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The deaths of Abu Sayyaf commander Gumbahali Jumdail or Abu Pula, Jemaah Islamiyah member Zulkipli Bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Muhammad Ali Bin Abd Al-Rahman should further weaken the terrorists who have lost their top commanders in recent years.
Some security officials have likened the terrorist threat to a Hydra; cut off one head and two emerge in its place. But not all terrorist leaders are alike. Some are more charismatic than others, and each can have an expertise in different aspects of sowing terror. Al-Qaeda, to which JI has been loosely linked, was thrown into disarray and, by most accounts, has not recovered after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan.
The Abu Sayyaf has also been largely decapitated, starting with the deaths of its founding leaders Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani and his brother Khadaffy, and the head of its Sulu faction, Ghalib “Robot” Andang. Several of its top JI allies have also been neutralized, in the Philippines and in their home country, Indonesia.
It is possible to weaken a group sufficiently to permanently incapacitate it. Consolidation of recent successful operations should be the focus of the AFP even as its forces continue to hunt down what’s left of the Abu Sayyaf and JI. With the two groups losing its key commanders, only assistance provided by another ally, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, can help the Abu Sayyaf and JI recover. The government, which is negotiating peace with the MILF, should see to it that this does not happen.
Consolidation of military gains must be accompanied by sustained development efforts by both the national and local governments. The circumstances that breed extremism must be addressed. Terrorists must be deprived of public support and sanctuary, with residents being made to experience the dividends of living without fear. The AFP must not lose the momentum of its latest victory.