13 Abu Sayyaf terrorists killed in Basilan clash –military

Thirteen Abu Sayyaf terrorists were reported killed in sporadic fighting in Al-Barka town in Basilan on Tuesday, a military official said.

 

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman for the military’s Western Mindanao Command, admitted that they have yet to recover the bodies of the 13 fatalities on the enemy side. 

 

"We did not recover their bodies," he said. "They were seen by our troops to have fallen down and didn’t get up. We don’t know if they were just playing dead."

 

"We are still trying to confirm the report," Tan said, adding the government suffered two fatalities and 10 casualties.

 

Tan said the fighting broke out around 5 a.m in Barangay Makalang, two days after government soldiers "swooped down" on the area.

 

"But it was only today when the fighting got bigger. It's sporadic, engage-disengage type of fighting," he said.

 

The soldiers were reportedly going after the group of Abu Sayyaf leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Furuji Indama. 

 

Last month, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the military to intensify its operations against the Abu Sayyaf, a loosely organized band of Islamic fundamentalists, following the beheading of a Malaysian kidnap victim in Sulu.  

 

Known for its kidnapping, beheading and bombing activities, the Abu Sayyaf has about 300 to 400 members, mostly in Sulu where it is still keeping several foreign and Filipino hostages. —KBK, GMA News