Winning A War of Stealth

Photograph for TIME by John Wilson

Building trust
Philippine troops, aided by the U.S., are developing a network of sympathetic villagers who will tip them off about Abu Sayyaf's movements

Just before dawn, residents of a small village on Jolo Island, in the southern Philippines, were woken by footsteps and muffled hoofbeats. Peeking out in the dim light, they saw dozens of heavily armed men marching past their houses. One was on horseback. With a pang of fear, some villagers recognized him: Khaddafy Janjalani, leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group and one of Southeast Asia's most wanted men. They had seen his face in posters advertising a $5 million reward for his capture.

Most of the villagers stayed indoors. But after dawn one...

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