StrategyPage.com is reporting on some fierce fighting occurring on two islands in the southern Philippines involving two Muslim separatist organizations: On Jolo and Basilan islands in the south, police and troops searched for weapons and Islamic terrorists, seeking to corner and destroy the remaining groups of Abu Sayyaf diehards based there. The last week saw a sharp increase in fighting on Jolo, accompanied by over 10,000 civilians fleeing areas they believed Abu Sayyaf was hiding in. Over sixty people have died on Jolo in the last few days, and two more battalions of troops were sent to the the island. About half the dead have been Abu Sayyaf and MNLF, the rest soldiers and civilians. Troops are trying to collect unregistered weapons, and locate bands of armed Abu Sayyaf. The local Moslem separatist group, the MNLF, has been unofficially siding with Abu Sayyaf. MNLF made peace with the government 11 years ago, but tensions remain, and the group has taken responsibility for...(Read Full Post)