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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippine Army Kills Suspected Extremists at Sea |
| 2003-08-18 |
| ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) - Army forces in a speedboat killed four suspected members of an extremist Muslim group in a clash at sea after getting a tip from fishermen, the military said Sunday. The army special forces recovered the motor boat and a rifle of the four suspected members of Abu Sayyaf, who fell into the sea after being hit in the five-minute clash late Friday off southern Zamboanga city, army spokesman Lt. Col. Joselito Kakilala said. "You gummint ninnies couldn’t hit the broad side of a ... ouch! [splash]" Other military officials said the army forces aboard a speedboat approached the rebels’ boat after being tipped off by fishermen that the gunmen were preparing to attack a trawler. "Dem guys are lookin’ to shoot up somethin’. Old Zeke saw it for hisself, ain’t that right Zeke?" "Yup, I saws it. Dey look kinda crazy and kinda dumb." "Okay, that sounds like Abu Sayyaf allright. Thanks boys, we’ll take it from here." Attacks by the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent band notorious for beheadings and kidnappings, have waned considerably since a U.S.-backed military offensive drove them last year from their main jungle bases on Basilan island near Zamboanga. "We need reinforcements!" "There ain’t no reinforcements!" "What? Damn! Somebody tell the madrassas to hurry up!" A few hundred remain on nearby Jolo island, Basilan and Zamboanga city, where American troops conduct combat and counterterrorism training for Filipino counterparts aimed at wiping out the resilient guerrillas. A two-fer! Live fire training AND anti-terrorist ops! Zamboanga, a bustling port city and headquarters of the military’s Southern Command, is about 530 miles south of Manila. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Zamboanga was one hell of a party town once upon a leave... "Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zanboanga!" |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-8-18 2:31:38 PM |