By Associated Press July 28 at 9:01 AM MANILA, Philippines — Abu Sayyaf gunmen attacked Filipino civilians traveling to celebrate the end of Ramadan with their families on Monday, killing 21, including at least six children, in a brazen road attack that was the bloodiest in recent years by the violent militant group, police and military officials said. Eleven other civilians were wounded as the group traveled in two vans in a coastal village in Talipao town in predominantly Muslim Sulu province, where the militants have survived in jungle camps despite years of U.S.-backed Philippine military offensives. About 40 to 50 Abu Sayyaf militants armed with assault rifles opened fire on the vans, marine Brig. Gen. Martin Pinto and other military officials said. The motive was not immediately clear, but Pinto said some of the dead belonged to a civilian security force and were engaged in a clan feud with the Abu Sayyaf. Violent clan wars, known as “rido,” have complicated security worries in the country’s south, which is already mired in decades-long Muslim rebellions. Officials said they were pursuing the militants after the attack, but there’s no word yet if any of them have been killed or captured. Among those killed in the attack were at least four members of a Talipao civilian security force called Barangay Police Action Team that has been helping the military fight the jungle-based militants in recent months, Pinto said. Armed forces spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala condemned “this heinous atrocity that victimized innocent civilians,” adding that the military “will continue its pursuit operations until those responsible are brought to justice.” Abu Sayyaf gunmen kill 21 Filipinos in road attack - The Washington Post Larry
Just wondering if those 'militants' have to get hopped up on shabu before they go around killing innocents or if killing is just a high they get by reason of mental defect. Bottom line, its crazy sh*t! I hope the victims rest in peace.
Shabu doesn't turn you into psychopathic religious murderers. There is no drug that does that. Religious extremism is the result of an illiterate/uneducated populace living in extreme poverty. Drugs can be a tool used by those in power to keep people living in poverty (addiction is a mothaf*****), but the root problem can't be blamed on drugs. Killing 21 people might require quite a lot of energy though (I'm only speculating since I have never tried murdering 21 people)...so I guess shabu would allow them to be more efficient and focused at it. And I think most are going to overlook that these extremists killed people celebrating Ramadan. Catholics tend not to do that. I find it odd that they killed their own for adhering to religious tradition (something they generally don't frown upon). I suspect this was a problem between clans being "resolved" and the government wants to politicize Muslim violence. Just my 2 cents.
Just want to add something about this: We have no idea if they were "innocent". As I said on my last post, it is likely that someone in that car was a political player/head of a clan, the only ones I would consider innocent would be the children. It is no small feet to organize 50 or more individuals (especially filipinos) to be at one place at a specific time and then have it coordinated to where they all have weapons and ammunition. They stop this one convoy of vehicles and only this convoy. They picked that spot for a reason. They knew somebody they wanted was going to be driving through there at that exact time and in those exact vehicles. Since they didn't go all willy-nilly murdering everyone in that specific area that was celebrating Ramadan it seems it was a very targeted and very planned attack. This reeks of political assassination (at least an attempt....maybe they didn't get the right people).
Only a few bother to read and analyze the report like Wrye is doing, his explanation makes much more sense than the official version and that's true for many other news nowadays...
