Jail shoot-out kills Philippine al-qaida suspects

Police fired a barrage of tear-gas canisters and bullets today in a major assault on Muslim suspects who took over a maximum-security jail in Manila, killing at least 17 of them, officials said.

Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes said four leaders of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group were among the dead, including two men who headed a botched escape attempt yesterday at the Camp Bagong Diwa facility that left an additional five people dead.

Sweat-soaked police marksmen filed out of the building after the assault to the applause of bystanders, escorting detainees stripped to their underwear and with hands clasped behind their heads.

Five officers were wounded in the assault, described by Senior Supt. Benjamin Magalong as “scary”.

“The Abu Sayyaf had long firearms,” he said. “The fighting was intense.”

Reyes named three Abu Sayyaf leaders among the detainees killed: Alhamzer Manatad Limbong, known as Kosovo; Ghalib Andang, known as Commander Robot; and Nadzmie Sabtulah, alias Commander Global. All were accused in mass kidnappings and other terror acts.

Abu Sayyaf detainee Hazdi Daie, a spokesman for the inmates, also was killed, Reyes said.

The assault came after Reyes gave the inmates 15 minutes to surrender. A deal yesterday to end the drama fell apart over the militants’ demand for dinner.

“They refused to yield the firearms which they grabbed from the guards and turned down our calls and assurances for their safety, including the plea of our Muslim leaders,” Reyes said. “The message is, anybody who tries something like this in the future will be dealt with in a similar fashion.”

“There were so many people, they were hiding in their cells,” said police officer Napoleon Cabrera, who was leading an assault team that reached the third floor.

“Some were firing pistols, some were yelling because of the tear gas smoke. I engaged one rebel with a pistol. He was shooting at me. I was hit in the leg. But I know he fell down,” Cabrera said.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called to congratulate the forces “for a job well done” but lamented the casualties, Reyes said, though he added that the deaths were unavoidable. “We don’t shoot innocent people,” he said. “They were armed, they fired at us and we fired back.”

The jail had about 425 suspects, including 129 suspected members and leaders Abu Sayyaf, notorious for deadly bombings and ransom kidnappings in which some hostages were beheaded.