Photo shows two coffins of slain marines believed beheaded by extremist Abu Sayyaf gunmen following a clash with government troops searching for kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi in Basilan.Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen clashed Tuesday with government forces in Basilan province, killing 14 soldiers and beheading four bodies, a report reaching Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) here said Wednesday, July 11, 2007.
The victims were members of the 1st Marine Brigade that were searching for the kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi in the hinterland village of Tipo-Tipo Municipality.
According to the report, the dead soldiers, included those beheaded, had been recovered. It added they were returning to base when they came under fire and fighting broke out until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier reports said troops clashed with members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, reportedly aided by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Ginanta in Al-Barka, an adjacent town of Tipo-Tipo.
Four marines were initially killed and nine others were wounded in the firefight.
In a related news, journalists following the developments on efforts to secure the release of Fr. Bossi were barred by soldiers from covering the cadavers of marines taken to La Merced funeral home in Zamboanga City.
A reporter said he was able to take shot bodies of slain soldiers, including those who were beheaded, in the funeral's embalming room, "but one marine soldier took my camera and erased its content."
Meanwhile, the MILF admitted that it had killed 23 Marines during the fighting with government forces Tuesday in Basilan Province, but denied responsibility for the beheading of soldiers.
Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, said their forces encountered with the Marines in Barangay Guinanta, Tipo-Tipo starting at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday and dwindled down late in the afternoon, leaving 23 soldiers dead on the spot.
“Violence broke out after the Philippine Marines entered our camp in Tipo-Tipo town,” said Iqbal. “Our troops thought they were under attack that's why they fought back. If they just coordinate with our men in the ground, it should have not happened.”
A report posted at the MILF on line website Luwaran, Abu Majid, MILF information officer based in Basilan, dismissed reports from the government that what Marine troops encountered in Tipo-Tipo town were members of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Majid said the MILF would look into the reported beheading because Islam prohibits mutilation or commission of any atrocity against a fallen enemy.
“The Marines entered our area in complete disregard of the ceasefire agreement,” Majid said, adding, “The MILF does not understand why no such coordination was ever attempted by the Philippine Marines.”
The MILF also reported it had recovered 27 firearms, including six (6) M-60 machineguns, eight M-203 grenade launchers, ten M-16 Armalite rifles, one 60mm mortar, and several night vision goggles.
Majid said the MILF, which suffered four casualties and seven (7) wounded, also destroyed two 6x6 military vehicles.
“All the captured firearms remain in the custody of MILF in the area,” Majid said.
Meanwhile, Marine Major Gen. Ben Mohammad Dolorfino, head of the government's Ad Hoc Joint Advisory Group (Ahjag), noted that beheading was an execution style of the Abu Sayyaf.
"There were reports that the son of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon were among the fatalities. He reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to his mouth," Dolorfino said.
"They got angry, that's why they decapitated the Marines," he added.
Hapilon is said to be the chief of the Abu Sayyaf faction in Basilan.
The military claimed that as many as 300 to 500 men overpowered their troops as the Marines were on their way back from search operations for kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi.
Bossi, 57, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) was seized by heavily gunmen in the coastal of Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay. He was reportedly to have been taken by his abductors to Basilan.
Marine Colonel Ramiro Alivio, 1st Marine Brigade commander, denied that 20 soldiers were killed. "Soldiers were checking reports that Fr. Bossi was sighted in the town. The report turned out to be false," he told reporters.
The victims were members of the 1st Marine Brigade that were searching for the kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi in the hinterland village of Tipo-Tipo Municipality.
According to the report, the dead soldiers, included those beheaded, had been recovered. It added they were returning to base when they came under fire and fighting broke out until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier reports said troops clashed with members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, reportedly aided by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Ginanta in Al-Barka, an adjacent town of Tipo-Tipo.
Four marines were initially killed and nine others were wounded in the firefight.
In a related news, journalists following the developments on efforts to secure the release of Fr. Bossi were barred by soldiers from covering the cadavers of marines taken to La Merced funeral home in Zamboanga City.
A reporter said he was able to take shot bodies of slain soldiers, including those who were beheaded, in the funeral's embalming room, "but one marine soldier took my camera and erased its content."
Meanwhile, the MILF admitted that it had killed 23 Marines during the fighting with government forces Tuesday in Basilan Province, but denied responsibility for the beheading of soldiers.
Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, said their forces encountered with the Marines in Barangay Guinanta, Tipo-Tipo starting at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday and dwindled down late in the afternoon, leaving 23 soldiers dead on the spot.
“Violence broke out after the Philippine Marines entered our camp in Tipo-Tipo town,” said Iqbal. “Our troops thought they were under attack that's why they fought back. If they just coordinate with our men in the ground, it should have not happened.”
A report posted at the MILF on line website Luwaran, Abu Majid, MILF information officer based in Basilan, dismissed reports from the government that what Marine troops encountered in Tipo-Tipo town were members of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Majid said the MILF would look into the reported beheading because Islam prohibits mutilation or commission of any atrocity against a fallen enemy.
“The Marines entered our area in complete disregard of the ceasefire agreement,” Majid said, adding, “The MILF does not understand why no such coordination was ever attempted by the Philippine Marines.”
The MILF also reported it had recovered 27 firearms, including six (6) M-60 machineguns, eight M-203 grenade launchers, ten M-16 Armalite rifles, one 60mm mortar, and several night vision goggles.
Majid said the MILF, which suffered four casualties and seven (7) wounded, also destroyed two 6x6 military vehicles.
“All the captured firearms remain in the custody of MILF in the area,” Majid said.
Meanwhile, Marine Major Gen. Ben Mohammad Dolorfino, head of the government's Ad Hoc Joint Advisory Group (Ahjag), noted that beheading was an execution style of the Abu Sayyaf.
"There were reports that the son of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon were among the fatalities. He reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to his mouth," Dolorfino said.
"They got angry, that's why they decapitated the Marines," he added.
Hapilon is said to be the chief of the Abu Sayyaf faction in Basilan.
The military claimed that as many as 300 to 500 men overpowered their troops as the Marines were on their way back from search operations for kidnapped Italian Catholic priest Giancarlo Bossi.
Bossi, 57, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) was seized by heavily gunmen in the coastal of Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay. He was reportedly to have been taken by his abductors to Basilan.
Marine Colonel Ramiro Alivio, 1st Marine Brigade commander, denied that 20 soldiers were killed. "Soldiers were checking reports that Fr. Bossi was sighted in the town. The report turned out to be false," he told reporters.
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