U.S. Troops in Philippines Combat Zone
March 19 -- As one battle came to an end in Afghanistan, U.S. forces found themselves drawn into another combat zone ? thousands of miles away.
U.S. troops on a training mission in the southern Philippines entered the combat zone for the second time in days when Muslim extremists attacked the local armed forces.
According to wire reports, four Green Berets attempted to rescue wounded members of a Philippines Army patrol attacked by guerrillas on Basilan island.
They were turned back by enemy fire, but the two injured soldiers were rescued by Filipino troops, according to The Associated Press.
U.S. helicopters evacuated three Filipino soldiers wounded in combat with the guerrillas in the same area on Friday.
Abu Sayyaf separatists there have been linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network, and the U.S. military has been training Filipino troops as part of the war on terror.
However, their mission generally does not involve entrance into the combat zone itself.
About 660 U.S. troops, including 160 Special Forces, are involved in the joint operation in the southern Philippines.
The Abu Sayyaf rebels are holding two American hostages.
Anaconda Winds Up
In eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda came to a close on Monday, with U.S. officials declaring the mission a success.
"We still have teams operating in the area looking for any remaining Taliban and al Qaeda," Air Force Gen. John Rosa said. Some 500 U.S. and allied troops remain in the region, searching the caves and mountains.
Anaconda was the biggest U.S. military ground offensive in Afghanistan yet.
The operation in the mountains near Gardez claimed the lives of eight U.S. servicemen and hundreds of Taliban and al Qaeda holdouts. However, many Taliban and al Qaeda fighters are believed to have escaped in small groups, possibly into Pakistan.
A Successful Operation?
Some allied Afghan commanders disputed U.S. claims that Anaconda was a total success.
"Americans don't listen to anyone," Abdul Wali Zardran, a commander in the region, told The Associated Press. "They do what they want. Most people escaped. You can't call that asuccess."
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