Filipino dad, boy die; attack toll 23

MANILA, Philippines — A 3-year-old boy and his father died from wounds suffered in an attack by Abu Sayyaf extremists on Filipinos celebrating the end of Ramadan, raising the toll Tuesday to 23 dead, officials said.

About 40 to 50 Abu Sayyaf militants armed with assault rifles opened fire Monday on some 50 villagers as they traveled on a southern road to visit relatives during the holiday ending the Muslim holy month.

Marine Brig. Gen. Martin Pinto said six villagers who were wounded remained in the hospital Tuesday after the militants’ bloodiest attack in recent years. Three other slightly wounded villagers have gone home after treatment.

The attack occurred in a coastal village in Talipao town in predominantly Muslim Sulu province, where the extremists have survived in jungle camps despite years of U.S.-backed Philippine military offensives.

Pinto said Tuesday that pursuit operations were continuing, but there had been no encounter with the gunmen.

“It’s not that easy, this is a vast area,” he said in a telephone interview. But he said government troops were moving and “we will bring them to justice.”

Initial military reports said 10 civilian security force members were with the villagers, but Pinto said Tuesday that the information was being verified.

The motive for the attack was unclear. Officials say it could be part of a violent clan war or retaliation by the extremists against the civilian security team, which has backed the military in previous clashes where Abu Sayyaf members were killed.

Sulu Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan condemned the attack and alleged that supporters of a village official he did not name, in cooperation with the Abu Sayyaf, may be behind the “barbaric act.”

“This is un-Islamic and very satanic,” Tan said. “After going through the holy month of Ramadan, even animals could hardly inflict damage of such magnitude.”

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