Army troops pulling out from Sulu - official

Thousands of Philippine Army troops have began withdrawing from the southern province of Sulu, where Marines have put up a permanent base as part of a new deployment strategy to effectively combat terrorism, a regional military commander said Monday.Officials said the 104th Infantry Brigade based in Sulu will be redeployed in the province of Lanao del Norte. The Philippine Marines will solely take over the security operation in Sulu, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.Marines have also taken over Army personnel in Tawi-Tawi province and have been deployed in Zamboanga City where they already established a base. "The redeployment of army soldiers is part a new concept which will be more effective in addressing various threats, from terrorism to guarding our long coastlines. The Navy and Marines will take care of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi as part of this new Fleet Marine Concept and our the infantry forces will be redeployed to Lanao del Norte province and other areas in the region," Army Major General Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the First Infantry Division, told GMANews.TV.Pajarito did not say how many army soldiers were involved in the redeployment of forces, but several thousands of infantrymen are currently stationed in Sulu.The government deployed thousands of Army and Marines in Sulu last year as part of the intensified campaign against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and other lawless elements in the region.

Reference: www.inq7.net