MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police have filed criminal complaints against an Abu Sayyaf commander and his men over an attack on a southern city that killed 14 people, an official said Sunday.
The murder complaints were lodged Saturday against Abu Sayyaf commander Puruji Indama and at least 11 other militants who allegedly detonated two bombs and fired on civilians last week in Isabela, a predominantly Christian city in Basilan province, Senior Supt. Antonio Mendoza said. Complaints must be filed before charges are brought.
Dozens of militants, disguised as police commandos, detonated the bombs near a sports field and behind a Roman Catholic cathedral on Tuesday, but a contingent of marines immediately engaged the attackers, foiling their attack.
A third bomb was found and safely detonated by troops outside a local judge's house.
The dead included three marines, three militants and a police officer. The rest were villagers who were shot by the militants as they fled.
The military says the militants may have planned to explode more bombs and take over key roads as they unleashed violence by burning buildings and kidnapping people.
It was one of the most ambitious attacks by the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group listed as terrorists by Washington following two decades of deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. They are suspected of having received training and funds from al-Qaida.
Indama, the Abu Sayyaf's second-highest commander in Basilan, was seen leading Tuesday's attack and managed to escape when it faltered, the military said.
A captured Abu Sayyaf fighter, Ajid Jainul, told investigators that he and his companions were given arms and deployed just a few hours before the attack, adding they were not told what the targets were, Mendoza said.
"It was very well planned," Mendoza said. "The attackers were compartmentalized to prevent them from knowing too much about the mission."
Troops caught up with some fleeing militants Friday, killing three in a brief clash in Isabela. Another group of soldiers found and detonated a bomb left by the militants in a creek in the city, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said.
The Abu Sayyaf is the smaller of at least four Muslim groups fighting for decades for a separate homeland in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south.
It is estimated to have more than 390 fighters and is still considered a major security menace despite many battle losses.
