Philippine rebels create special assassination unit

THE ABU Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the Philippines has created a new unit specialising in close-quarter assassinations, a military officials have warned.

The Philippine Star newspaper reported the Army's Southcom information officer, Capt Jose Pabilonia, as saying that the new unit - believed to be called Abu Sofian - is suspected of being behind the killing of four Philippine soldiers in Sulu in June.

Last month, two army troops were killed in close-quarters shootings in separate incidents in Patikul and Indanan. Two other men were shot dead in what the newspaper said were ASG hits on suspected security force informers.

Capt Pabiliona said the assassination unit was most likely comprised of new recruits, mainly from Basilan island, who were being given experience by the ASG ahead of their use in operations elsewhere in the Sulu archipelago.