Feb 22, 2010
The military reported it shot dead six members of the Muslim militant network in the jungles of lawless Jolo island on Sunday, with high-profile leader Albader Parad among the victims. -- PHOTO: AFP
MANILA - THE Philippine military said on Monday its killing of a 'ruthless' Abu Sayyaf commander had inflicted a major blow on the Al-Qaeda-linked group, as it pursued his fellow militants on a remote island.
The military reported it shot dead six members of the Muslim militant network in the jungles of lawless Jolo island on Sunday, with high-profile leader Albader Parad among the victims.
'It is a big blow in the sense that he (Parad) is a very notorious and ruthless leader,' Lieutenant General Benjamin Dolorfino, head of military forces in the south, told AFP by telephone. 'He always played a big role as far as the effectiveness and capability of the group is concerned.'
Parad, who was believed to be in his late 20s, made world headlines last year when he led an Abu Sayyaf cell that kidnapped and threatened to behead three Red Cross workers on Jolo. The trio - a Filipino, a Swiss and an Italian - were released after many months.
Lt Gen Dolorfino said Sunday's killings, which occurred after the military acted on tips from informants, gave hope the Abu Sayyaf could finally be crushed. 'Without the leaders, the members will be directionless and, if no new leader emerges, they may crumble,' he said.
Lt Gen Dolorfino said the Abu Sayyaf was now believed to have only 330 fighters on Jolo, with another 61 on nearby Basilan island. This is down from a peak of about 1,200 fighters in 2002. He said the military was pursuing Abu Sayyaf members in the jungles of Jolo on Monday in a bid to capitalise on the previous day's success, with Umbra Jumdail, one of the group's top two leaders, on its radar. -- AFP
