Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Three soldiers were killed and 17 others wounded Saturday morning in an encounter between government troops and nearly 150 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu.
The firefight between troops of the 35th Infantry Battalion and the bandit group began in Brgy Kabbontakkas, Patikul, Sulu at around 10 a.m. while the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTF Sulu) was conducting focused military operations.
The clash lasted for nearly two hours before the Abu Sayyaf withdrew.
In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP Wesmincom) said 15 soldiers were “slightly wounded” and were sent to the local hospital. Two others were airlifted to Zamboanga for additional medical treatment.
Wesmincom said JTF Sulu is continuing its pursuit operations on the Abu Sayyaf Group.
There are no details yet on the casualties from the ASG.
The bandits were led by Abu Sayyaf top leader Radullah Sahiron and sub leaders Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, Yasser Igasan, and Mujer Yadah.
The encounter comes as the AFP intensifies its operations against the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu. The group, which is notorious for its bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings, has been the subject of a crackdown as ordered by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
In September, the AFP deployed 7,000 troops in Sulu; the biggest force tapped against the group since it was formed in the early 1990s.
Read: AFP taps 7,000-strong force vs. Abu Sayyaf
Yesterday, Wesmincom confirmed that Malaysian authorities had killed Abu Sayyaf leader, Abraham Hamid, and two other ASG members. The three were suspects in the kidnapping of three foreigners and a Filipina from a resort in Samal Island, Davao del Norte.
