January 24, 2002, AFP, US gives military aid to Philippines as it hunts Muslim rebels,

January 24, 2002, AFP, US gives military aid to Philippines as it hunts Muslim rebels,

MANILA, Jan 24 (AFP) -

The United States is giving the Philippines eight helicopters, a high-speed naval vessel and 30,000 M-16 rifles which can be used in joint operations against Muslim guerrillas, a US official said Thursday.

Other equipment in the military aid package included night-vision goggles and weapons that allow M-16 rifles to shoot grenades.

"This equipment will be turned over to the Philippines military to be used as they desire," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Five of the helicopters arrived on Thursday.

The US has also delivered a C-130 cargo plane, which arrived soon after President Gloria Arroyo returned from a visit to Washington where she held talks with President George W. Bush in November.

Some 600 US troops will next month participate in joint operations with Philippine soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas in the southern Philippines.

The Americans will not be involved in combat but some of them will join Philippine patrols seeking Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in their jungle hideouts.

The United States has branded the Abu Sayyaf, which is holding hostage an American Christian missionary couple and a Filipina nurse, a terrorist group with links to Saudi militant Osama bin laden's al-Qaeda network.

The US official said: "The high-speed cyclone class cutter (naval craft) will be useful because the terrorists have a habit of using high speed boats. This thing will catch up (with them)."