BASILAN – Army troops have killed four Abu Sayyaf militants in fierce ferocious fighting Wednesday in the restive Muslim province of Basilan in southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the fighting was so fierce that military aircrafts were sent to Basilan to provide support to ground troops battling militants under Furuji Indama in the remote village of Bohe Pahu in the town of Ungkaya Pukan.
The town is also a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which signed an interim peace deal with Manila in 2014.
Officials said the fighting involved soldiers from the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, 64th Infantry Battalion, 18th Infantry Battalion and 12th Division Reconnaissance Company under the Joint Task Force Basilan, and the Philippine Air Force.
The target of military operations was Indama, a notorious militant commander blamed for the spate of ransom kidnappings and attacks on military and civilian targets.
Brigadier General Fernando Reyeg, the task force commander, said they “launched focused military operations against the Abu Sayyaf group under sub-leader Furuji Indama at Sitio Gipitan in Barangay Bohe Pahu in the wee hours of the morning.”
“A heavy firefight ensued after which the enemies scampered to different direction. Close air support was immediately deployed to go after the fleeing bandits. Our troops are currently on the ground to pin down the Abu Sayyafs who are on the run and are evading military forces,” he said.
There was no report of military casualties. Troops also recovered the bodies of the slain militants, including one M16 automatic rifle, one M14 sniper rifle and an R4 assault rifle.
It was not immediately known if MILF forces had provided sanctuary to the militants or if rebels helped the military in the operation against the Abu Sayyaf. MILF and military forces had previously clashed many times in the town prior to the interim peace deal. (The Zamboanga Post)
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