14 Philippines Troops Are Ambushed, Beheaded
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
MANILA, Philippines — Muslim insurgents ambushed a Philippine marine convoy searching for a kidnapped Italian priest and killed at least 14 troops, beheading at least 10 of them, a military spokesman said yesterday.
The chaotic, seven-hour firefight took place in dense jungle on the southern island of Basilan. The government has touted Basilan as a success story in the war on terrorism since American troops carried out year-long counterterror training exercises there in 2001 aimed at helping oust the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group. Mohagher Iqbal — chief negotiator for the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is engaged in peace talks with the government — denied his forces were responsible for the beheadings, but said he would investigate.
