November 5, 2001	Monday	haba’an 18, 1422

MANILA, Nov 4: Four US KC-130 refuelling planes landed in the northern Philippines Sunday on their way to join the US operations against the suspected perpetrators of the September 11 terror attacks.

Elmer Cato, head of a Philippine commission overseeing US military operations in this country, said the four US marine corps planes flew in from an air station in Okinawa to take part in “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

The planes, with more than 100 Marines aboard, would spend the night at Clark airfield, a former US airbase north of Manila, Cato said. He would not reveal where the planes would be going.

The aircraft would refuel and resupply in this country, he said, adding that tight security would be imposed for the visit, with the US servicemen restricted to a hotel in Clark.

At least five US F/A-18 fighter jets were also due to make a three-hour stopover at Clark on Monday on their way to the anti-terror operations, Cato added.

The Philippines has declared full support for the US strikes on Afghanistan in retaliation for the September terror attacks in New York and Washington which killed thousands of people.

US aircraft have made transit stops in the central island of Cebu and have been allowed to overfly Philippine airspace as part of Manila’s contribution to the US-led campaign Osama.—AFP