Philippine military to deploy more forces in Basilan

The Philippine military said on Sunday that it is planning to deploy more forces in the southern island province of Basilan where 19 Army Special Forces soldiers were killed on Oct. 18. Western Mindanao Command spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang confirmed the plan though he said this initiative was initially discussed long before the tragic Al Barka incident. The Army Special Forces troops were going after lawless elements, composed of Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, under Dans Asnawi, and Abu Sayyaf terrorists, on Oct. 18. As the fighting ensued, hundreds of MILF rebels reinforced, walloping the soldiers. Cabangbang said the plan calls for the deployment of a command group of an infantry brigade or a brigade headquarters. He said the plan first came out during the first quarter of the year. "We have been long planning to deploy an infantry brigade in Basilan but it's only a headquarters brigade, not a brigade with three battalions." Last week, the military mounted air, ground and naval operations at the camp of MILF leader Waning Abdusalam and about 100 of his men. Elite troops seized the lair last Wednesday but Abdusalam was nowhere to be found. Military officials said at least 27 lawless elements died in the operation while the military lost two men. The enemy fatalities included those believed buried in at least 15 freshly- dug graves at the lair.