PHILIPPINE MARINES KILL 7 AL-QAIDA LINKED MILITANTS

Manila: Philippine Marines killed at least seven Al Qaida-linked militants yesterday in a raid on a coastal hideout, but failed to capture a Malaysian terror suspect long wanted by Washington, officials said.
Government forces, backed by intelligence from captured militants and US military surveillance, have staged a series of offensives against the Abu Sayyaf extremist group in recent weeks — including one that killed a top commander last month.

• Marines in rubber boats launched the latest raid yesterday on Laminusa Island off southern Sulu province, sparking two clashes that left seven militants dead — including two women — and wounded a Marine, regional military commander Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero said.
• Malaysian militant Zulkifli Bin Hir, also known as Marwan, and Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Benhur are believed to have escaped with other fleeing militants, Guerrero said.
• "They may have escaped but we're pursuing them. This campaign will be relentless," he told The Associated Press by telephone.
• Marines recovered 15 assault weapons abandoned by the militants in a rural tangle of huts on stilts, he said.
• The US has offered a $5 million reward for the capture of Marwan, a US-trained Malaysian engineer who has been accused by Philippine authorities of involvement in a number of deadly bombings in the country.
• Marwan has alleged links to several southeast Asian terrorist groups with Al Qaida ties. The US State Department says he is believed to be a leader of the militant organisation Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) and a member of the central command of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Al Qaida affiliate blamed for numerous regional attacks, including the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings in Indonesia.
• He is thought to have been living in the southern Philippines since 2003 and is accused of conducting explosives training for Abu Sayyaf militants there.

Source: AP