February 4, 2002	Monday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1422

ZAMBOANGA, Feb 3: Philippine troops, backed by bomber planes, killed 16 Muslim guerrillas linked to the Al-Qaeda network in three days of fighting on the southern island of Jolo, the Philippine military said on Sunday.

An undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf rebels were wounded while no government casualties were reported in a series of clashes which began on Friday and continued into Sunday, regional military operations chief Colonel Roland Detabali said.

Jolo lies about 100 km southwest of Basilan island where other Abu Sayyaf units have been holding a US missionary couple hostage for more than eight months.

US Special Forces are due to be deployed on Basilan around the second week February to train local troops in fighting the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

The training is part of joint military exercises between the United States and the Philippines aimed at upgrading Filipinos’ skills in fighting the Abu Sayyaf, linked by Washington to the Al-Qaeda network.

In the Jolo clashes, bomber planes and helicopter gunships pounded Abu Sayyaf positions on Friday ahead of a ground assault by hundreds of Filipino troops, Detabali said.—AFP