(File photo) At least 18 soldiers and five Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighters were killed in a 10-hour gun battle on April 9. It was the biggest single-day combat casualty suffered by government forces in the area since 2011.
Amid reports that the terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for recent clashes between soldiers and the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied ISIS hand in the bloody encounter that killed 18 soldiers on April 9.
Read: 18 soldiers dead, 5 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in Basilan encounter
A Reuters report cited this statement from ISIS: "With the grace of god we were able to detonate seven trucks carrying soldiers."
CNN Philippines cannot independently verify the authenticity of this statement.
But AFP Spokesperson BGen. Restituto Padilla told CNN Philippines on Thursday (April 14) that contrary to what the ISIS reportedly claimed, there were no trucks hit by bombs during the fighting.
With inconsistencies such as this, Padilla raised doubts on the reported ISIS claim.
“Our initial assessment is that this is part of the propaganda that ISIS or the Daesh is trying to do on the part of the groups here in the Philippines,” Padilla said.
The AFP said it is looking into whether or not the Abu Sayyaf has aligned with ISIS.
Read: "Who are the Abu Sayyaf?"
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But there is so far no clear, direct link between local terror groups and ISIS, Padilla said.
He admitted though that the Philippines could be a target of ISIS recruiters because of its young Muslim population.
At least 18 soldiers and five Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighters were killed in a 10-hour gun battle in Tipo-Tipo town on April 9.
Following more clashes, the AFP said the number of militants killed had risen to 31 by Thursday (April 14), but the statistic is still being validated.
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/04/14/isis-basilan-attack.html
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