SULU – Government troops have recovered eight automatic rifles allegedly owned by the notorious Abu Sayyaf group tied to the Islamic State militants in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.
Soldiers swooped down on a village called Pitogo in Kalingalan Caluang town, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, and seized the weapons on Thursday. A suspected militant also escaped, but left behind the weapons – four M14 and four M16 rifles.
Security forces were sent to the area after receiving intelligence information on the presence of the militant and weapons at Sitio Kadkad.
Governor Totoh Tan has repeatedly urged and publicly appealed to residents to help authorities in curbing the proliferation of illegal weapons and share information to police and military about lawless elements in the area.
The Abu Sayyaf is still holding over a dozen hostages, mostly seamen kidnapped over the years off Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sabah in Malaysia and are hiding them in the forest of Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. (Mindanao Examiner)
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