ZAMBOANGA CITY – At least 7 soldiers were wounded in fierce clashes Friday with Abu Sayyaf fighters in the southern Philippines, a military report said.
It said the fighting erupted in Batungan village in Patikul town in Sulu, one of five provinces under the restive Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where troops were tracking down members of the notorious jihadist group.
The wounded soldiers were identified as Sergeant Rodguer Bilbao, Corporals Dennis Buela, Jonathan Natividad, Philip Jaravilla, Privates First Class Michael Galduen, Netlie Tangonan and Allan Guingayan.
They were all airlifted to the Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City. There were no reports of Abu Sayyaf casualties, but the group is holding over 2 dozen foreign hostages – Canadians, Dutch, Norwegian, Malaysians and Indonesians and a Japanese man – kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi province and in Sabah, Malaysia.
The group has demanded ransoms for their hostages and threatened to execute some of the captives if their governments fail to pay. (E. Dumaboc)
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