The Philippine military on Monday overran another Abu Sayyaf camp in the mountains of Sulu province as rescue operations for at least 12 foreign and Filipino hostages entered its third day.
The military launched an intensified operation against the al-Qaeda-linked terror group on Saturday, a day after Abu Sayyaf militants released two German nationals reportedly in exchange for a US$5.6 million ransom.
"Surely we will catch up on them," Gen Gregorio Pio Catapang, Philippine Armed Forces chief, told reporters in Manila. "Just be patient.”
As of Monday afternoon, however, the military has yet to engage Abu Sayyaf fighters who are believed to have fled to another area in the hinterlands of Sulu.
Col Allan Arrojado, commander of the military unit tasked with hunting down the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, said in a telephone interview on Monday that his men are trying their best to initiate an armed engagement with the terrorists.
Arrojado said government troops are operating in a vast and forested area. "It's not easy to shift forces. I hope you understand," he said. "Just a little patience. We are tracking them.”
He appealed for understanding, saying that the military operation "is not a walk in the park”.
"There are risks of ambush and landmines. I hope the public will understand," he said, adding that the Abu Sayyaf fighters are on the run and are mingling with the local community.
"We do not want to bomb the villages because we respect the rights of the innocent civilians. We do not also want to harm the hostages they are holding," Arrojado said.
Military spokesman Lt Col Harold Cabunoc said government troops on Sunday overran the camp where the terrorist group had held German hostages Stephan Viktor Okonek and Heriken Diesen since April.
The Abu Sayyaf released Okonek and Diesen on Friday after payment of ransom, said Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Rami in a radio interview in Zamboanga City.
The military, however, said it is not aware of any ransom payment or negotiations, saying the release of the German hostages was a product of "military pressure”.
Cabunoc said military operations are ongoing in the towns of Patikul and Indanan, known havens for the Abu Sayyaf.
He said the terrorist group had splintered into several groups after the release of the German hostages last Friday.
The terrorist group still holds Dutch national Ewold Horn, Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, Malaysian Marine police officer Kons Zakiah Aleip, Chinese national Chan Sai Chuin, Japanese treasure hunter Toshio Ito, and seven Filipinos.