Philippines says seizes Muslim rebel camp in south

MANILA, Apr 26 (Reuters) Philippine soldiers overran an Islamic insurgent camp in the mountains on Jolo island, an army spokesman said today, a day after the military pounded the area with howitzer fire.

The Abu Sayyaf militants have been blamed for beheading seven people taken captive on April 16. Three days later, the heads of the victims were placed inside sacks and delivered to army detachments on the island.

Lieutenant-Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said army commando teams found the rebel base empty but saw indications they had abandoned the area in haste because food and supplies were found in some of the bunkers.

''As of o1.oo ist this morning, our army commandos from the Special Operations Task Force were occupying the camp in Mount Tumatangis,'' Bacarro told reporters in Manila.

''There was very little resistance or opposition when our boys reached the rebel base just a few hours after the bombardment. We have no information if there had been rebel casualties.'' Bacarro said the military was not after the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces in the area and had made prior arrangement with the leaders of the moderate rebel group.

The MNLF signed a peace deal with the government of former president Fidel Ramos in September 1996, but many rebel leaders were unhappy because Manila failed to deliver on its commitment to develop conflict areas in Muslim regions in the south.

Bacarro said the Abu Sayyaf, a radical Islamic military group with links to al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah, had taken over the MNLF camp.

''Our information was the three senior Abu Sayyaf leaders on Jolo had decided to hold a meeting in the area vacated by the MNLF rebels,'' Bacarro said.

REUTERS JS RK1700