Troops hunt down militants who attempted to seize city

Manila: Philippine troops clashed Wednesday with a top Muslim militant commander and dozens of fighters suspected of trying to seize a key predominantly Christian southern city in a daring attack the previous day that killed at least 13 people.

There was no word of casualties in the latest fighting between troops and more than 60 Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Puruji Indama, a notorious militant whose brother was among the dead in Tuesday's coordinated attacks on the Basilan provincial capital of Isabela, said Lieutenant General Benjamin Dolorfino.

Dozens of Abu Sayyaf gunmen, many disguised as police commandos, detonated bombs and then opened fire on civilians and troops after their apparent plan to seize Isabela faltered as government forces fought back.

It was one of the most ambitious attacks by the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent Al Qaida-linked group blacklisted by Washington following two decades of deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. The Abu Sayyaf is suspected of having received training and funds from Osama Bin Laden's terrorist network.

Citing intelligence and information from captured militants, Rear Admiral Alex Pama said Abu Sayyaf gunmen may have planned to explode bombs and take over key roads as they unleashed violence in Isabela by burning buildings, kidnapping people and springing jailed detainees.

The well-funded plan was similar to the April 1995 attack on the Christian town of Ipil, also in the south, where the militants killed more than 50 people after robbing banks and stores and burning the town centre.

"The Ipil raid was apparently their model for this failed siege," Pama said. "It was a major, well-planned attack that luckily went bad in their own hands."

A bomb in a van apparently exploded prematurely near an Isabela sports field, damaging a grandstand and catching the attention of residents and a contingent of marines, who engaged the militants.

Church attack

Another bomb attached to a motorcycle went off at the back of a Roman Catholic cathedral an hour later, damaging five cars and wounding civilians. Troops later found and detonated a third bomb outside the house of a judge.

Tuesday's toll included three marines, a police officer and three militants, including Bensar Indama, the brother of Puruji Indama.