By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) – The Philippines’ military revealed Tuesday night that at least three members of a Daesh-linked militant group were killed and 16 government troops injured in a clash in a majority Muslim island province.
Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., Western Mindanao Command spokesman, said in a statement that soldiers encountered around 200 Abu Sayyaf members in Patikul town in Sulu in the afternoon, triggering an hour-and-a-half-long battle.
“Three members of the Abu Sayyaf were killed and at least 10 were wounded,” Tan confirmed.
“The injured soldiers were brought to the trauma hospital in [Sulu’s capital] Jolo as pursuit operations continue as of posting time.”
Tan had earlier revealed that troops captured two camps used by the Abu Sayyaf in Talipao town Monday.
“The said camps can accommodate approximately 150 persons and have running trenches with potable water within the perimeter,” he had said in a separate statement.
He added that hammocks, water containers and other personal belongings of Abu Sayyaf members were recovered, but there were no signs of the group’s captives.
Last week, the Abu Sayyaf executed Canadian hostage Robert Hall after a deadline set by the group for the delivery of a 600 million peso ($13 million) ransom was missed. While his head was discovered June 13, his body has not been found.
His beheading followed that of another Canadian captive April 25 after a 300 million peso ransom also failed to be paid.
The two Canadians were seized by armed men from a high-end resort on Samal Island in September 2015, along with Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor.
They were later brought to Sulu.
Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf group – 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 province in the Philippines.
It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.
