MORE than a dozen combatants were killed while nine others were wounded in a fresh battle between the military and Abu Sayyaf Group in Patikul, Sulu on Friday, Major Felimon Tan Jr., spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said.
Tan said the fierce battle started around 10:20 a.m. between elements of the 35th Infantry Battalion and around 150 terrorists led by Radullan Sahiron in Sitio Dyundangan, Barangay Buhanginan.
“The encounter lasted for almost 45 minutes before the terrorists escaped to different directions,” Tan said, adding four soldiers were killed while nine were hurt in the encounter. At least 10 terrorists are believed to have been killed with a still undetermined number of wounded.
“We have three bodies [from the ASG]. Seven of the slain terrorists were brought by their comrades in their escape,” Tan said, adding the fleeing terrorists were chased with shelling from 105mm and 155mm howitzer guns.
Fresh troops were also inserted to continue pursuit operations against the terrorists.
“Blocking troops and checkpoints were also established to intercept the escaping terrorists,” Tan said.
“Despite the casualties incurred, the military continues to conduct combat operations against the ASG to destroy the bandits, rescue the kidnap victims and deter terror attacks perpetrated by the bandit group in the province of Sulu and possibly in other provinces as well,” Tan said.
“The purpose of the operation is to destroy the enemy and to rescue the victims,” said Tan, who added the troops did not see any of the captives held hostage by the militants.
The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, and has earned millions of dollars from kidnappings-for-ransom.
In recent years, some of its leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.
The Abu Sayyaf is also blamed for the Philippines’ deadliest bombings but in recent months, many of its activities have been kidnappings in the high seas.
Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed a German sailor and abducted her elderly male companion from their yacht at sea last week.
Five crew members of a Vietnamese cargo vessel were also kidnapped by unknown gunmen in nearby waters last week.
In recent months, the Abu Sayyaf has been accused of kidnapping dozens of Indonesian and Malaysian sailors in waters off the southern Philippines.
In what maritime experts described as a landmark incident, the South Korean captain of another cargo ship and a Filipino crewman were abducted off their vessel in October, the first such attack on a large merchant vessel.
Abu Sayyaf militants this year beheaded two Canadian hostages after demands for millions of dollars were not met. Most of the Indonesian and Malaysian sailors were released after ransoms were reportedly paid.
However, two more Indonesian sailors were abducted on November 5.
President Rodrigo Duterte has launched a military offensive to “destroy” the Abu Sayyaf, and Tan, the military spokesman, said Friday’s clash was a continuation of the campaign.
But the militants have defied more than a decade of US-backed similar offensives, surviving in their mountainous and jungle-clad southern island strongholds where they have support from local Muslim communities.