Abu Bakar Bashir

Government troops attacked an Abu Sayyaf camp in the rebels' southern stronghold before dawn Tuesday, triggering a five-hour clash in which five of the al-Qaida-linked militants were killed and one government militiaman was wounded, the military said. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said one of the dead was identified as Ridwan Musa — an Abu Sayyaf commander linked to a string of kidnappings. The camp was in the village of Tuburan Proper on Basilan island, said Dolorfino, the regional military commander. The militants, suspected of receiving funds from al-Qaida, are notorious for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings. The Abu Sayyaf is believed to have about ... Read Full Story

Survivors and relatives of the dead held a solemn memorial service Monday to mark the seventh anniversary of the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists. About 70 people held a joint prayer at the memorial on the site of the blasts in Kuta, Bali's main tourist strip where Islamist extremists detonated two bombs targeting packed night-spots in 2002. Memorial organiser Hayati Eka Laksmi, whose husband was killed in the blasts, said the service was an opportunity to "send a message for a peaceful Indonesia". People from 22 countries died in the massive explosions, including 88 Australians. The anniversary came days after ... Read Full Story

One American soldier was killed and another was wounded in a landmine attack Tuesday by suspected al-Qaida-linked militants in the southern Philippines, military officials said. U.S. officials did not immediately comment on the blast. It was believed to be the first death of an American soldier caused by the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group since U.S. troops deployed to the southern Philippines to help combat militants in 2002. Three Philippine marines were also wounded in the blast on Jolo island, where American counterterrorism troops have been providing combat training and weapons to Filipino troops battling Abu Sayyaf militants. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said ... Read Full Story

Attempts by government troops to arrest three militant leaders wanted by the Philippines and the United States on kidnapping and murder charges sparked clashes that left up to 17 rebels dead, officials said Monday. The fighting erupted Sunday when government forces cordoned off a village on Jolo island in the southern Philippines and tried to arrest the three Abu Sayyaf commanders. Some of the estimated 220 militants in the village fired on the soldiers and clashes ensued. Regional military commander Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said troops recovered the body of one militant, but that intelligence sources indicated at least 17 rebels were killed. Five ... Read Full Story

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has been hit by a series of terrorist attacks in recent years blamed on Islamist militants. Here is a brief look at major developments: _ August 2009 — A 16-hour siege at a farmhouse in central Java kills a hotel florist, Ibrohim, who allegedly helped carry out bomb attacks at two luxury hotels in Jakarta the previous month that killed seven and wounded more than 50. Police also fatally shoot two alleged militants and confiscate hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of explosives and bombs. _ Nov. 8, 2008: Government executes three Islamic militants for the 2002 Bali bombings ... Read Full Story