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thedrifter
07-14-07, 06:22 AM
Filipino marines killed, some beheaded, in clash with rebels

The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 10, 2007


MANILA, Philippines: Muslim insurgents ambushed a Philippine marine convoy searching for a kidnapped Italian priest, killing at least 14 soldiers and beheading at least 10 of them, a marine spokesman said Wednesday.

The chaotic seven-hour firefight took place in dense jungle on the southern island of Basilan. The government has touted Basilan as a success story in the war on terrorism after American troops carried out yearlong counterterror training exercises in 2001-02 that were aimed at ousting the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group.

The military, which blamed the Abu Sayyaf for Tuesday's clash, said nine other marines were wounded in one of this year's bloodiest fights.

But in a sign of the tangled situation in the area, Mohagher Iqbal — chief negotiator for the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is engaged in peace talks with the government — said the marines had attacked an MILF stronghold and his forces fought back.

He denied his forces were responsible for the beheadings, but said he would investigate.

A small convoy of light tanks and marine trucks, accompanied by a three-man GMA television network crew, went to the town of Tipi Tipo to check a reported sighting of the Rev. Giancarlo Bossi, a 57-year-old missionary from Milan who was abducted on June 10.

The troops drew a blank and left, but one truckload of marines quickly got stuck in mud and was left behind. A second truck, accompanied by the TV crew, went back to help. All were about to leave when shots rang out from snipers hidden in dense foliage in high ground just above the road, GMA reported.

The gunfire quickly escalated, with rocket-propelled grenades exploding among the stunned troops. Two marines had misfires on the first two mortar rounds they attempted to launch before achieving success on the third try. One of the tanks returned and fired into the jungle. Two helicopters flew overhead but did not engage with the troops so close to their attackers.

Troops later recovered the bodies of 14 marines, Caculitan said. At least 10 of the bodies were beheaded, including those of six marines earlier reported missing in the gunbattle.

The military said at least 300 al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, joined by "lawless groups," ambushed the heavily outnumbered marines.

But Iqbal accused the troops of violating a 2003 cease-fire, saying they failed to coordinate their movement into the area with the MILF. Four MILF members were killed and seven wounded in the fighting, he said. He ruled out that Abu Sayyaf militants — who have beheaded hostages before — had sought refuge in the MILF stronghold.

"It cannot be a mistaken encounter because it was a deliberate act on the part of the marines that entered the area, knowing that the area is a bailiwick of the MILF, in complete violation of the cease-fire," Iqbal said.

Still, he said the clash was only a "tactical problem" and would not hamper peace talks with the government.

Caculitan said the military had no official information that the MILF was involved in the attack — but that if they were, officials would ask the cease-fire committee to investigate and take appropriate action.

"As of this time, we still maintain that the attackers were composed of mixed forces coming from the (Abu Sayyaf group) and lawless armed groups in the area," he told reporters.

He said there were unconfirmed reports that senior Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon's group was sighted in the area.

Washington has offered a US$5 million (€3.6 million) reward for Hapilon, who has been linked to the abduction of 17 Filipinos and three Americans in May 2001.

Philippine officials have issued conflicting statements on the identity of groups that might have kidnapped Bossi. They initially blamed an MILF commander, but the group denied any role and deployed forces to help government troops search for Bossi.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales has said Abu Sayyaf militants may have been responsible. But army officers say Abu Sayyaf gunmen do not have a presence where Bossi was kidnapped.

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Associated Press writers Teresa Cerojano and Jim Gomez contributed to this story from Manila.

Ellie