The United States government yesterday handed over light weapons and military trucks to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to help it fight the extremist Abu Sayyaf group which is still holding a American couple and a Filipino woman in southern Philippines.

The U.S. embassy charge d'affaires, John Caulfield, turned over to Army Chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos the weapons, mostly M203 grenade launchers and 81mm mortars, and five trucks and dozens of sniper rifles.

Caulfield, during simple ceremonies marking the turnover of the weapons, said the equipment has been provided by the U.S. to the Philippines as part of the mutual defence agreement.

"We are now in the era of cooperation in the global war against terrorism. The handover of military equipment represents a small part of our assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines in this new struggle," he told reporters at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.

He said the trucks were part of more than $1 million worth of military package to the Philippines. Caulfield said more deliveries of trucks and weapons would arrive next year.