12 Abu Sayyaf Militants Killed in Southern Clashes: Philippine Military

From BenarNews (May 7): 12 Abu Sayyaf Militants Killed in Southern Clashes: Philippine Military

At least 12 suspected militants were killed in clashes Monday between Philippine troops and a band of Abu Sayyaf gunmen holding four hostages, including two policewomen, the military said.

The fighting began early Monday when a 70-member Abu Sayyaf force attacked soldiers from the 21st Infantry Battalion who were patrolling a remote village in Patikul, a town on southern Jolo island, said Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the local army commander.

Sobejana said reports from the field indicated that a dozen Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed.

“They were buried by their comrades,” he said, adding that seven soldiers were wounded, but were said to be out of danger.

The clashes broke out after troops had launched a search-and-rescue operation against militants responsible for the April 29 abduction in the same area of two policewomen, Benierose Alvarez and Dinah Gumahad, and two civilians, identified as Jakosalem Ahamad Blas and Faizal Ahidji.

Authorities said the kidnappers were demanding a ransom of five million pesos (U.S. $96,153) in exchange for the freedom of their captives, but the government said it rejected the demand.

Last week, fighting on Jolo island left one Abu Sayyaf gunman dead and nine others in nearby Basilan island over the weekend.

Basilan and Jolo, covered mostly by impenetrable jungle terrain, are bailiwicks of the Abu Sayyaf, a small band of militants on the U.S. government’s list of foreign terrorist organizations responsible for kidnappings, beheadings and random bombings.

One of its leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, had been appointed as the Islamic State’s leader in the region. He was killed late last year after leading a five-month siege that destroyed the southern city of Marawi and left at least 1,200 people – mostly militants – dead.

Brig. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the military task force commander in Basilan, said the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama was the target of air and ground assaults in Basilan.

Uy said Indama’s group and another sub-leader named Radzmi had a combined force of around 40 followers. He said elite scout rangers were able to close in on the group of Indama for a 30-minute firefight.

“The Air Force provided air support to the scout rangers,” Uy said, adding that they had recovered the remains of one of the nine dead rebels.

In February 2017, Abu Sayyaf members beheaded German yachtsman Jurgen Kantner after his government failed to pay a ransom equivalent to $600,000. Two Canadian hostages suffered the same fate the previous year.

The Abu Sayyaf also were blamed for bombing a passenger ferry on Manila Bay, leaving at least 100 dead in 2004, in the country’s worst terrorist attack.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/deadly-battle-05072018130008.html