Residents fleeing the fighting claimed that scores of people, including some civilians, had been killed or wounded in the Army attack. There was no word on the fate of the hostages–transportation and phone links to the island were cut off. Two of the hostages were French journalists. Immediately after the attack began, French President Jacques Chirac told Estrada in a phone call that he disapproved of the attack and would hold Manila “responsible” for the safety of the two French captives. France was reportedly given no warning that the attack would take place. A spokesman for Estrada insisted that Manila had made the governments of the captives aware that it was planning an assault.
The attack began at dawn last Saturday. Several hours later, Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said that 18 Abu Sayyaf members had been captured trying to slip away from Jolo in a boat. Estrada had cut short a visit to the United States last week so that he could return to Manila and deal with the crisis. In a televised address announcing the attack, he said: “We will not allow kidnappers or lawless elements to mock our laws or control our lives.” In return for about $18 million in ransom payments–more than half reportedly paid by Libya–the rebels had released 10 Western hostages earlier this month. But last weekend Abu Sayyaf members grabbed three new victims, all Malaysians, which Estrada said was the last straw.
