Philippine army commandos raided the jungle lair of a small band of al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants on a remote island today, targeting a rebel leader wanted in the United States, the army said.
Dozens of US-trained special forces commandos dropped from helicopters after a barrage of rocket fire on southern island Sacol at dawn, army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Randolph Cabangbang told reporters.
“We launched a surgical strike against Khair Mundos, Puruji Indama and 15 other Islamist militants after their presence on the island was confirmed last night,” Cabangbang said, adding the militants’ lair was at the heart of the wooded and marshy island.
“The operations are still ongoing,” he said. “We haven’t heard from our troops on the ground.”
