Wednesday 23rd December 2015
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| Outside DSS |
The past three days we have seen a new emerging
sailor in the family.
Chris Harmsen, my illustrious brother, started his
sailing career here in Sandy Bay.
And now Leo Thomas is up and away, whizzing around
the buoys with his friend Leo Oakley.
They have been attending Tackers #1 sailing camp and Leo T for one can’t
wait to go to Tackers #2 and #3.
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| Two (slightly blurry) Leos in a small boat on the Derwent |
He is loving it! He has learned to tack, to gybe, and to
capsize. Capsizing is, apparently the
BEST fun…
From:
The International Business Times
Seven days of bloody fighting between Islamic State
hostages-takers Abu Sayyaf and the army in remote south of the Philippines has
led to 26 deaths among the militants as their camp on Basilan Island was
overrun.
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| The army |
The government victory over the separatist group, which has
links to both Islamic State (Isis) and al-Qaeda, is a huge blow to Aby Sayyaf
which has been fighting an
insurgency against Manila and its backers in the US for decades.
In September 2014 Abu Sayyaf's leadership, including figurehead
Isnilon Hapilon, pledged
allegiance to the Isis (Daesh) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his
self-declared Caliphate in the Levant.
They are currently holding two Canadians, a Norwegian and a
Fillipino, who were abducted in
September. Abu Sayyaf has demanded more than $60m (£40m) for the
release of the the three foreigners. In October 2014 the group claimed to have
been paid 250m peso (£3.4m) for the release of two German
hostages who were held for seven months.
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| Tess, Rob, John Kjartan |
Progress against the insurgents was
slow and costly. AFP reported 12 soldiers were injured when an Improvised
Explosive Device concealed within the camp exploded. Fourteen others were injured
in fighting before the explosion.
However, the Filipino military has confirmed the death of
Malaysian Abu Sayyad leader Mohammad Najib Hussein, also known as Abu Anas,
during the confrontation at the extremists' camp. Around 300 soldiers supported
by artillery and helicopters took part in the operation against the jihadists.
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| Some Abu Sayyaf members |
Hussein, a Malaysian bomb maker, has been associated with Daesh
through a jihadi cell at Universiti Malaya through Dr Mahmud Ahmad, alias Abu
Handzalah, still at large in the Southern Philippines.
As many as 150 Abu Sayyaf fighters were in the camp during the
assault but most have now scattered, with the military in pursuit, according to
army reports.
The group's al-Barka base was extensive according intelligence
gathered during the operation. The 30,000 square metres (323,000 feet) camp
could accommodate about 250 people within its 28 structures. Poverty-stricken
Basilan has been a longtime stronghold for Abu Sayyaf.
I suppose this is all good news. The Philippines army has freed a village on
Basilan Island and they are working on freeing all kidnap victims. Presumably they will get to Jolo Island as
well to build on their success. HOPING!!!!
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