Abu-Sayyaf leaders killed

[preemptingyou03]

Another few bite the dust.

 

[waltky]

Philippine police catch Abu-Sayyaf weapons cache...

Weapons destined for Abu Sayyaf group seized in Philippines
Sept. 27, 2016 - The weapons included grenade launchers and automatic rifles.

Philippine police confiscated $125,000 worth of high-powered firearms destined for the Abu Sayyaf separatist group, law enforcement said.

The cache of weapons and ammunition was displayed Tuesday by National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa. He said the ammunition was traced to a government arsenal and the serial numbers of the weapons are being researched under the assumption they are of the same origin.

He added Abu Sayyaf members have been in the Manila area since August, purchasing the weapons, which include grenade launchers and automatic rifles. "I have directed the director of [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group] to trace these seized arms and ammunition," he said.

The weapons were seized from four arrested suspects in San Juan City, Mindanao, on Sept. 24. The island of Mindanao includes a Muslim enclave and is the focus of Abu Sayyaf terrorist activity.

Weapons destined for Abu Sayyaf group seized in Philippines

 

[waltky]

Abu Sayyaf givin' Duterte fits...

ISIS-Linked Militants Besiege Philippine City
24 May 2017 | Militants swept through a southern Philippine city, beheading a police chief, burning buildings and seizing a Catholic priest.

Islamic State group-linked militants swept through a southern Philippine city, beheading a police chief, burning buildings, seizing a Catholic priest and his worshippers and raising the black flag of IS, authorities said Wednesday. President Rodrigo Duterte, who had declared martial law across the southern third of the nation, warned he may expand it nationwide. At least 21 people have died in the fighting, officials said. As details of the attack in Marawi city emerged, fears mounted that the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia could be falling into a growing list of countries grappling with the spread of influence from the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

The violence erupted Tuesday after the army raided the hideout of Isnilon Hapilon, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who has pledged allegiance to IS. He is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists with a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. The militants called for reinforcements and around 100 gunmen entered Marawi, a mostly Muslim city of 200,000 people on the southern island of Mindanao, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. "We are in a state of emergency," Duterte said Wednesday after he cut short a trip to Moscow and flew back to Manila. "I have a serious problem in Mindanao and the ISIS footprints are everywhere."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he answers questions from reporters at Manila's airport, Philippines​

He declared martial rule for 60 days in the entire Mindanao region — home to 22 million people — and vowed to be "harsh." "If I think that you should die, you will die," he said. "If you fight us, you will die. If there is open defiance, you will die. And if it means many people dying, so be it." But he said he would not allow abuses and that law-abiding citizens had nothing to fear. Duterte said a local police chief was stopped at a militant checkpoint and beheaded, and added that he may declare martial law nationwide if he believes the group has taken a foothold.

Marawi Bishop Edwin de la Pena said the militants forced their way into the Marawi Cathedral and seized a Catholic priest, 10 worshippers and three church workers. The priest, Father Chito, and the others had no role in the conflict, said Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. "He was not a combatant. He was not bearing arms. He was a threat to none," Villegas said of Chito. "His capture and that of his companions violates every norm of civilized conflict." Villegas said the gunmen are demanding the government recall its forces.

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Duterte declares martial law in Philippines amid terror clashes
May 23, 2017 -- President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines on Tuesday declared a partial state of martial law in the Pacific island nation after two soldiers and a police officer were killed in clashes with terror insurgents.

Duterte made the declaration for the island of Mindanao, in the nation's south. Troops and police officers were engaged in fights with pro-Islamic State Maute insurgents on Tuesday in Marawi City, the Philippine army said. The scene of the firefight was near police headquarters and the campus of Mindanao State University, officials said. The clash was initiated by the army, who saw Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon in the vicinity, with about 15 followers, Philippine Army spokesman Col. Jo-ar Herara said.

Clashes Tuesday in Marawi City, Philippines, between pro-Islamic State Maute insurgents and the Philippine army injured five soldiers searching for Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon. Two troops and a police officer were killed, officials said​

By Tuesday night, the city of Marawi was under complete lockdown. Maute is a radical Islamist group based in Lanao del Sur which, with Abu Sayyaf, has conducted terrorist attacks in the Philippines for several years. Both are aligned with the Islamic State, also identified as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh. At least 50 Maute members have been killed in isolated clashes with Philippine police and soldiers in the past five months. The total number of casualties in Tuesday's fight was not immediately known.

Earlier Tuesday, members of the Philippine army searched Marawi City for Hapilon and his party when the gunfire began. Armored vehicles were brought in, neighborhoods were locked down and two aircraft of the Philippine air force dropped bombs on selected targets. The incidents in Marawi City, whose population of about 200,000 is largely Muslim, came two days before the start of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Duterte declares martial law in Philippines amid terror clashes

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Philippines deploys helicopters in battle to retake city from Islamist rebels
Thu May 25, 2017 | Troops backed by attack helicopters battled dozens of militants linked to the Islamic State group holed up in a besieged city in the southern Philippines on Thursday after attempts to secure volatile areas met heavy resistance.

The army sent about 100 soldiers, including U.S.-trained special forces, to retake buildings and streets in mainly Muslim Marawi City held by militants of the Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Thousands fled as rebels seized large parts of the city and torched buildings in running battles with government forces that erupted on Tuesday afternoon after a failed raid by security forces on one of the group's hideouts. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law on impoverished Mindanao, the country's second-largest island, to prevent the spread of extremism after the Maute rebels rampaged through the city of 200,000 people.

At least 21 people have been killed since then. Religious leaders have also accused the rebels of using Christians, taken hostage during the fighting, as human shields. "We're confronting maybe 30 to 40 remaining from the local terrorist group," said Jo-Ar Herrera, a spokesman for the military's First Infantry Regiment. "The military is conducting precise, surgical operations to flush them out ... The situation is very fluid and movements are dynamic because we wanted to out-step and out-maneuver them," he said. Islamic State claimed responsibility late on Wednesday for Maute's activities via its Amaq news agency. Hostilities had eased overnight but flared again later on Thursday morning when troops advanced towards a strategic bridge held by Maute fighters.

AIR SUPPORT

The military sent in two helicopters with machine guns to flush out rebels and take control of the bridge, one of three operations in the city. Trucks were being sent to evacuate any remaining civilians. A total of seven government troops, 13 militants and one civilian had been killed since Tuesday, Herrera said. A Reuters witness could see soldiers crouched behind armored vehicles and walls around lunchtime on Thursday, firing volleys of gunshots towards elevated positions occupied by Maute rebels. Smoke could also be seen on the horizon. Marawi is located in Lanao del Sur province, a stronghold of the Maute, a fierce, but little-known group that has been a tricky opponent for the military. Its activities are a source of concern for Mindanao native Duterte, who is familiar with separatist unrest but alarmed by the prospect of Islamic State's radical ideology spreading in the Philippines. Hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in a military camp in Marawi City on Thursday. The Maute had taken more than a dozen Christians hostage and set free 107 prisoners from two jails since Tuesday.

Bishops and cardinals had pleaded with the Maute rebels, who they said were using Christians and a priest as human shields. The status of the captives was unknown. Duterte threatened harsh measures to prevent extremists taking a hold in Mindanao and said martial law would remain in place for as long as it took to restore order. It was not clear what exactly Duterte planned to do to achieve that once the Marawi siege ends. Human rights groups are concerned about possible abuses by the military and police in places under martial rule, but Duterte has insisted he will not allow that to happen. The military has not explained how Tuesday's raid on an apartment hideout went so badly wrong and spiraled into urban warfare. The operation was aimed at capturing Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group notorious for piracy, banditry and for kidnapping and decapitating Westerners. "Based on our intelligence, Isnilon Hapilon is still in the city," Herrera said.

Philippines deploys helicopters in battle to retake city from Islamist rebels

 

[yiostheoy]

Another few bite the dust.

Good news.

But you need an avatar to go with your moniker.

And you also need a link.

 

[Marion Morrison]

This is a good thread, I hope Duterte smacks pinoy ISIS into oblivion.

 

[waltky]

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape...

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape amid concern over martial law abuses
Sat May 27, 2017 | Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and made the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island. He has, however, said he would not tolerate abuses. "If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job I will take care of the rest," Duterte said on Friday, according to a president's office transcript. "I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city. It was not the first time Duterte has made a joke about rape. He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to soldiers during a visit at a military camp in Iligan City, Philippines​

In what was intended as a joke, Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologized and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims. Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos. The president's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duterte's latest remarks about rape.

Duterte's pledge of support for troops comes as human rights groups and some lawmakers criticize his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces. He also joked that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis. He urged rebels to disarm and hold talks and said anyone not authorized to carry guns would be killed. "My order to the troops is all people who are not authorized by government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said.

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape amid concern over martial law abuses

 

[Marion Morrison]

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape...

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape amid concern over martial law abuses
Sat May 27, 2017 | Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and made the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island. He has, however, said he would not tolerate abuses. "If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job I will take care of the rest," Duterte said on Friday, according to a president's office transcript. "I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city. It was not the first time Duterte has made a joke about rape. He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to soldiers during a visit at a military camp in Iligan City, Philippines​

In what was intended as a joke, Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologized and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims. Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos. The president's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duterte's latest remarks about rape.

Duterte's pledge of support for troops comes as human rights groups and some lawmakers criticize his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces. He also joked that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis. He urged rebels to disarm and hold talks and said anyone not authorized to carry guns would be killed. "My order to the troops is all people who are not authorized by government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said.

Philippines' Duterte jokes about rape amid concern over martial law abuses

In b4 liberals protest in the streets of the Philippines.

 

[waltky]

Duterte seein' slow progress in fight against Abu-Sayyaf...

Philippines says Islamists keep up week-long fight with prisoners, looted guns
Wed May 31, 2017 | A week-long assault by Islamist rebels in a southern Philippine city is being fuelled with stolen weapons and ammunition and fighters broken out of jails, the military said on Wednesday, as troops battled militants resisting ground and air attacks.

The pro-Islamic State Maute group has proven to be a fierce enemy, clinging on to the heart of Marawi City through days of air strikes on what the military called known rebel targets, defying expectations of a swift end to their occupation. The military deployed for the first time SF-260 close air support planes to back attack helicopters and ground troops looking to box rebels into a downtown area. The army said the rebels hold about a tenth of the city. The hardline Maute had kept up the fight with rifles and ammunition stolen from a police station, a prison, and an armoured police vehicle, and were using them to hold off the troops, said military spokesman Restituto Padilla.

The militants had freed jailed comrades to join the battle and opted to engage in urban warfare because the city had stocks of arms and ample supplies of food. "Yes indeed, there was planning involved," Padilla said. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is alarmed by the strength of the Maute and intelligence reports suggesting it has teamed up with other extremist groups and has recruited foreign fighters.

An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) is seen on a main street of Datu Javier village as the government troops continue to assault the Maute group in Marawi city, Philippines​

He last week declared martial law on Mindanao island where Marawi is located, in a move to quell movements he said he had long warned would mushroom into what is now an Islamic State invasion. "I specifically warned everybody there is more dark cloud ahead of us. I was referring specifically to the contamination of ISIS slowly creeping towards our shores," Duterte told navy personnel in Davao City. "In Marawi now, I have to tell you we have suffered tremendous losses because we are the invading force and they have been waiting for a long time for the forces of the republic to come." Eighty-nine militants, 21 security forces and 19 civilians have so far been killed during clashes.

SLOW PROGRESS

The slow pace of the military's efforts to retake Marawi - with air support and far superior firepower than the rebels - has prompted questions about its strategy. That has been compounded by social media images of smiling fighters with assault rifles posing on an armoured, U.S.-made police combat vehicle, dressed in black and wearing headbands typical of Islamic State. Another picture showed a bearded man at the wheel of a police van flying an Islamic State flag. The authenticity of the images has not been independently verified and the military has urged the public not to spread "propaganda".

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As bloody battle with terrorists rages on in southern Philippines, militants dump bodies of civilians on the streets
Tuesday 30th May, 2017 - A raging battle is ongoing in the southern Philippines city of Marawi, where government forces continue to engage in fights with ISIS militants, who are trying to seize control of the area has entered its sixth day.

ISIS militants on Monday dumped the bodies of at least 16 civilians including a child, in and around the southern Philippines city of Marawi. The clashes have so far left more than 100 people dead and has pitted the Philippines’ military against the extremist Maute group, an organisation with support in Muslim-dominated parts of the south. The group has declared allegiance to the Islamic State. Officials stated that many of the civilians reported dead over the weekend appeared to have been executed.

The battle in Philippines has is soon turning into a political issue with concerns about the government’s implementation of martial law in the southern island of Mindanao being high. Meanwhile, commenting on the battle over the weekend, President Rodrigo Duterte unnerved critics after he said he would ignore the country’s Congress and Supreme Court if they chose to vote on his declaration of martial law. Duterte asked rhetorically during a speech, “Are they the ones who will suffer the wounds of war?” adding that he didn’t know when he would lift martial law.

It is unclear when and if the country’s joint houses of congress had been expected to meet to vote on the declaration of martial law, since some politicians have said that there was no opposition and therefore no need for a vote. The Philippines’ constitution allows the president to declare martial law for 60 days. In a statement, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the president is committed to restoring peace and order in Mindanao and is focused on the terrorist threat, “not on the misguided commentaries of critics.”

On Sunday, the armed forces said it was focused on aiding residents of Marawi trapped inside the city, and it had rescued 124 civilians since the start of its operations. Officials said previously that Maute militants had taken hostages and that the military has been bombarding Marawi with airstrikes as it seeks to take back sections of the city. The military has said that so far, 103 people have been killed, including 61 militants, 15 police and soldiers and 19 civilians.

As bloody battle with terrorists rages on in southern Philippines militants dump bodies of civilians on the streets

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Philippines vows to save hostages as fight corners militants
May 3,`17 - Philippine authorities have reached out to parties who may be able to talk with Muslim militants in a bid to secure the freedom of hostages in a southern city where a week of fighting has killed 129 people, officials said Wednesday.

There was food and water— welcome commodities amid the frequent tears. There was, finally, safety, at least for the moment. And there were stories — stories of things that mothers and fathers hope never happen to their families. At an evacuation center outside the besieged Philippine city of Marawi on Wednesday, the results of a week of misery — a week of violence and uncertainty and long nights and promises of better tomorrows — were evident in the faces and hearts of the displaced. “When you’re desperate, you will do everything to survive,” said Zia Alonto Adiong, a regional lawmaker who welcomed dozens of people, including children, who fled to safety after more than a week trapped inside Marawi.

About 130 people have been killed in the violence, which erupted last Tuesday after soldiers launched a raid to capture militant leader Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated leader of the Islamic State group’s Southeast Asia branch. But the operation went awry and Hapilon got away. Fighters loyal to him surprised government forces with their firepower, fending off air strikes and house-to-house searches. The unrest has boosted fears that the Islamic State group’s violent ideology is gaining a foothold in the country’s restive southern islands, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades.

A displaced resident of Marawi city holds her coupon as they queue up to receive relief and food supplies at an evacuation center in Balo-i township, Lanao del Norte province in southern Philippines Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Tens of thousands of residents are now housed in different evacuation centers as Government troops fight with Muslim militants who laid siege in Marawi city Tuesday of last week​

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said Hapilon is believed to still be in Marawi. “We believe he is still there, and we believe that is why they are putting up a very stiff resistance in the areas that they are still being held up and being cleared,” Padilla told reporters in Manila, the capital. As the two sides battle it out, civilians have been caught in the crossfire. Bilal Sulaiman, a 47-year-old carpenter, said his wife and three children evacuated to safety early in the conflict but he stayed behind to watch their house near the scene of the battle. He said when the fighting became too fierce, with bombs exploding two blocks away from his house, he ran for his life to a nearby mountain, where he waited without food and water until he decided to swim across a pond to safety.

He waited in an army-controlled area and was retrieved by government rescuers Wednesday. “We did not eat for days,” Sulaiman told the AP at an evacuation center where some people wept as rescue workers handed out biscuits and water. “It was really scary, there were explosions just two blocks from my house but I couldn’t leave our house because somebody might burn it. I later left when the fighting got too intense.” Frightened civilians crowded into schools, basketball courts and sports centers. Villagers slept on floors and in grandstands and relied on government food and water rations and donations.

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[waltky]

The battle for Marawi yesterday enters its 36th day...

Philippines reports first beheadings
Thu, Jun 29, 2017 - FEARS CONFIRMED: The Philippine army yesterday said that it had found five bodies of civilians that had been decapitated among 17 bodies of civilian dead

The decapitated bodies of five civilians have been found in Marawi City, the military said yesterday, warning the number of residents killed by rebel “atrocities” could rise sharply as troops retake more ground. The discovery would be the first evidence that civilians trapped in the besieged town have been decapitated, as some who escaped the city have previously reported. The five decapitated people were found among 17 civilians killed by militants, Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Garcia of the Western Mindanao Command said in a text message to reporters. Garcia did not respond immediately to repeated requests for more details. It was not clear when the bodies were found.

The battle for Marawi yesterday entered its 36th day, with intense gunfights and bombing in the heart of the town and black-clad fighters seen from afar running between buildings as explosions rang out. Military spokesman Restituto Padilla said it was likely that many civilians had been killed and the death toll — which stood at 27 before the discovery of the 17 bodies — was only what the authorities could confirm independently. He said a “significant number” of dead had been seen by those who had escaped fighting. “[It] may increase significantly once we are able to validate all this information,” Padilla said. “There have been a significant number that have been seen, but again, we cannot include many of these.” The cause of those deaths would be “atrocities committed by the terrorists,” he said.

Videos have appeared this month on the Web site of Islamic State’s Amaq news agency and its social media channels of hostages in Marawi pleading for their lives, saying they would be beheaded if air strikes were not stopped. Clips have also appeared of people on their knees, shot in the head from behind. Reporters were unable to confirm the authenticity of the reports. The military has so far been reluctant to discuss the possibility that the real impact of the fighting on civilians could be far more severe than has been reported.

It has played down the impact of daily air strikes and mortar assaults aimed at rebel sniper positions, which have reduced areas of the lakeside town to rubble and alarmed people stuck there, some of whom have said the shelling was a bigger threat than the militants. President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday that he was prepared from the outset for a long fight against a well-armed Maute group motivated only by murder and destruction. “It seems to be limitless supply. They were able to stockpile their arms,” he said. “Some of those who travelled to the Middle East got contaminated, brought the ideology back home and promised to declare war against humanity.”

Padilla called for patience and said troops needed more time to flush out the gunmen and secure the city. “Our combat environment is sensitive. First, there are trapped civilians that we have to protect. They also have hostages and third, there are many traps so we have to clear buildings slowly,” he said. About 71 security forces and 299 militants have been killed, and 246,000 people have been displaced in the conflict, which erupted after a failed attempt on May 23 to arrest Abu Sayyaf commander-in-chief Isnilon Hapilon, who is backed by Islamic State’s leadership.

Philippines reports first beheadings - Taipei Times

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More civilians found dead in Philippines as fighting drags on in Marawi
June 28, 2017 -- The mutilated bodies of more than a dozen civilians were found on a street in the Philippines on Wednesday, and military officials believe they were killed by the regional Maute terrorist group.

Seventeen bodies were found on the street in Marawi on Wednesday morning. Five had been decapitated, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. "The recovered cadavers are believed to be among those civilians who were helplessly murdered by the Maute terrorists," AFP Brig. Gen. Joselito Bautista said in a statement.

Philippine security troops advance inside a conflict area in Marawi on June 1, as fighting between terrorist Maute militants and government forces continues in the city in the southern Philippines.​

Philippine authorities say the regional Maute syndicate operates in line with the Islamic State terror group, although it is not formally affiliated with the radical Islamist organization. Government armed forces have been fighting Maute insurgents in Marawi for more than a month, and officials said nearly 300 Maute militants have been killed in that time.

Military officials said more "atrocities" could happen to civilians as the fighting continues between militants and Philippine troops and the government tries to gain more ground. AFP Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the civilian death toll from fighting has so far risen to 27 -- not including the 17 bodies found Wednesday.

More civilians found dead in Philippines as fighting drags on in Marawi