Philippines: Communists a Bigger Threat Than Islamic Terrorists

Archives

February12, 2007: The army believes that the Islamic terrorist groups are trapped in the south, and will soon be destroyed. The communist rebels, however, will continue to be a problem in the north for another three years, at least. Meanwhile, on Jolo island, two Aby Sayyaf rebels were killed in a clash with an army patrol.

February 11, 2007: Two policemen were ambushed and killed east of the capital, near a Moslem neighborhood. It's unclear if this was an MILF operation, or just common criminals. Meanwhile, on Jolo island, Scout Ranger commandos killed four and captured two Islamic terrorists.

February 10, 2007: Police have recaptured three of the 49 prisoners who fled during a February 2nd jail breakout. Police suspect that members of the Pentagon kidnapping gang organized the jailbreak. That gang was largely broken up with many arrests, but not all the money, that the gang received in ransoms, was recovered.

February 9, 2007: The government is making slow progress in working out differences with the Moslem MNLF separatists in the south.

February 6, 2007: In the south, clashes between the army and dissident MILF groups has caused over 5,000 people to flee their villages, and temporarily settle in refugee camps.