Free Republic

A SMALL team of about 20 Australian Special Air Service soldiers has been helping track down Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiah terrorists in the southern Philippines. The soldiers have been notionally in joint patrols with Filipino military personnel but in truth the Australians are leading the efforts they are involved with. For the past couple of months a spasmodically ferocious effort has been waged in Mindanao, in particular on the island of Jolo, to eradicate the ASG, an al-Qa'ida affiliated terror group of extreme violence and cruelty. The SAS campaign is the nearest the Australian special forces have come to...

AN Australian special forces soldier wounded in a clash with Taliban forces late last month has returned to Australia for further medical treatment. The soldier, serving with the Perth-based SAS regiment, underwent surgery at a coalition military base in Afghanistan before being evacuated to Australia. He is the fourth Australian soldier to be wounded in action in Afghanistan since the SAS deployed to Afghanistan late last year. The gunshot wound was not life-threatening and the soldier is expected to return to active service. An Afghan national army soldier operating with the Australian patrol was also wounded during the contact and...