There were reports that at least 600 civilians had...

There were reports that at least 600 civilians had been killed or injured after President Estrada ordered thousands of troops to launch an attack on the bases of the armed Islamic separatist group Abu Sayyaf on the southern Philippine island of Jolo. According to Amnesty International, the Philippine armed forces had committed human rights violations within the context of counter-insurgency operations against armed opposition groups throughout the country, including extrajudicial executions, torture, "disappearances" and indiscriminate killings of civilians.