The United States on Thursday launched joint military operations with the Philippines against Muslim Abu Sayyaf guerillas linked to Saudi militant Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, officials said. Amid tight security, Philippine military chief general Diomedio Villanueva formally launched the six-month campaign involving up to 600 us military personnel and 3,800 Filipino soldiers.
The US has said its troops will largely train the Filipinos in counter-terrorism operations and will not be directly involved in combating the Abu Sayyaf rebels in their southern Philippine strongholds.
The campaign will see one of the biggest deployments of American troops since the United States began its campaign in Afghanistan to wipe out the al Qaeda terrorist network of bin Laden, blamed for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The United States has linked the Abu Sayyaf group to al Qaeda and has condemned it for being a terrorist organisation.
Heavily-armed soldiers were stationed at strategic spots throughout southern Zamboanga city where the formal launching was held on Thursday.
Abu Sayyaf guerillas at present hold an America missionary couple and a Filipina nurse hostage in the nearby southern island stronghold of Basilan.
Bureau Report