AFP says 28 Abu Sayyaf members were killed, 29 surrendered since January

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday reiterated its commitment to destroy the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), as it reported 28 ASG members were killed and 29 surrendered since January 1.

Four ASG members, meanwhile, have been arrested.

AFP also said it seized 41 high-powered firearms and seven improvised explosive devices from the terror group when the military discovered eight ASG camps.

AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr. hailed the military's success, attributing it to "the strong support of the national leadership, interagency cooperation, and the soldiers' high state of morale."

"The AFP will sustain this momentum against the terror group so that once and for all, peace and development will be genuinely felt by our people,” he said.

The military said among its recent accomplishments was the capture of ASG bomb expert Kahar Indama this month in Zamboanga City through the joint efforts of the AFP and the Philippine National Police. Indama was identified as one of those behind the bombing in the Batasan Complex in 2007 which killed two people, including former Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar.

The AFP also said an ASG imam and two other ASG members surrendered to the 45th Infantry Battalion under the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) in Patikul, Sulu last June 17.

Six other ASG members surrendered to government forces last June 16 in Luuk, Sulu, WestMinCom said.

Two ASG members meanwhile were killed on June 5 in a firefight with the 6th Special Forces Battalion in Patikul, Sulu. However, this battle also claimed the lives of four Army soldiers and injured seven.

“The AFP leadership salutes our troops from the Western Mindanao Command who continue to risk their lives in carrying out focused military operations to ensure the safety and security of our people in the south,” Santos said.

“Although the accomplishments came with the unfortunate loss from the government side, the AFP will not stop in performing all-out offensives against the terrorists Abu Sayyaf Group and bring justice to their countless acts of violence against our people and the state,” he added. 

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to destroy the ASG following the deadly blasts at a Catholic cathedral in Jolo, Sulu in 2019 which left 21 people dead. 

In June 2019, Duterte told soldiers not to surrender to the ASG. —KG, GMA News