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Marines fight rebels in Jolo

The Philippine military will deploy more marines to a southern island province to intensify a US-backed operation against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, which lost a top leader in a recent clash, military officials said yesterday.

A marine brigade, or about 1,500 men, will be moved from Marawi city on the main southern island of Mindanao to the island province of Basilan next week, said Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag, commander of the Philippine navy, which has operational control over the marines.

Calunsag said it will "boost the support system" and consolidate the marine forces in the southwestern Philippine island provinces where the Abu Sayyaf operates -- Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi.

"That is the purpose of this -- for us to have a heightened, sustained operation," Calunsag said.

On Thursday, marines battled about 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen under two prominent commanders -- Radulan Sahiron and Abu Pula -- killing nine militants and capturing three on Jolo, farther south of Basilan.

The marines earlier reported 10 Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in that battle, but Calunsag told reporters yesterday one of them was discovered still alive when the bodies were brought to a military camp.

On Tuesday, army soldiers on Jolo killed Abu Sulaiman, who is on the US and Philippine most-wanted lists and with a US$5 million bounty on his head from Washington.
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