MANILA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippineson Tuesday said the renewed campaign against the militant group Abu Sayyaf, following the release of Italian hostage Eugenio Vagni,will be carefully pursued so as to avoid unwanted collateral damage.

    "As per the order of the secretary of national defense, we will intensify our combat operations in the area. When we say intensified operations, we would like to differentiate it from all-out war," said the military public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr.

    Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr on Monday ordered the military establishment to launch intense military operations to once and for all end the Abu Sayyaf, which is behinda number of high-profile kidnappings and bombings.

    The group snatched Vagni and two other fellow workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross Jan. 15 in Patikul, Sulu in southern Philippines after the three inspected a water and sanitation project at the provincial jail.

    Vagni was released by the bandits last Sunday dawn. On the other hand Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba was likewise released on April 2 while Swiss Andreas Notter escaped April 18.

    "We are not on an all-out war in Sulu and Basilan because when we say all-out war, there is that connotation that we will fight the war regardless of any collateral damage. We would like to emphasize that we will just conduct intensified operations becausewe would like prevent any collateral damage and we would like to prevent any civilian lives from being wasted," said Brawner.

    Brawner said the chief of Philippine armed forces Gen. Victor Ibrado has relayed the directive of the defense chief to the ground troops to step up the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, which has linkages with the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.

    "What the secretary of national defense said is for us to conduct intensified operations. This was relayed by the chief of staff general Victor Ibrado, to the units on the ground so the commanders on the ground will now make the necessary adjustments according to how they perceive the operations should go on," said Brawner.

    Brawner said the military leadership will not meddle into the specific of how the directive of the defense chief should be accomplished.

    "In other words, from this level, from the strategic level, we are not going to micromanage. It's up to the commanders on the ground," he added.