Turkey- Philippines: 13 Abu Sayyaf 2 troops killed in clash
Date
12/16/2015 3:52:21 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) More than a dozen members of an al-Qaeda-linked militant group and two soldiers were killed in a clash Tuesday amid operations against the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines’ Muslim south according to the military.
Major Filemon Tan Western Mindanao Command spokesperson said 13 Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed in a firefight in Macalang village in the island province of Basilan at 5 p.m. (0900GMT).
"It is a focused military operation. Prior to this there was an intelligence operation that led to the identification of the ASG [Abu Sayyaf Group] lair" GMA News quoted him as saying.
Tan added that 10 soldiers were also injured and had already been airlifted from Basilan to Camp Navarro hospital in Zamboanga a predominantly Christian city in the majority Muslim region for medical treatment.
Fighting between security forces and the Abu Sayyaf has been ongoing for three days following orders by President Benigno Aquino III to intensify military operations against the group.
The directive came after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called upon authorities to take action in mid-November after a Malaysian national kidnapped from a seaside town in the country was beheaded in the southern Philippine island province of Sulu – another Abu Sayyaf stronghold.
The group -- based primarily out of Sulu and Basilan – is believed to still be holding around eight hostages including foreigners of Dutch Canadian Norwegian and Italian nationality.
Since 1991 the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings kidnappings assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.
It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.
While the Abu Sayyaf claims to have pledged allegiance to Daesh Philippine security officials have downplayed reports by saying that the Middle East-based group does not have a presence in southern Mindanao island.
By Hader Glang
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