Militants of the Abu Sayyaf group (Photo: The Malaymail Online)Hanoi (VNA) – At least three soldiers, one police officer and five AbuSayyaf militants were killed in a clash between Philippine government forcesand the Islamic militants in the central province of Bohol, said the ArmedForces of the Philippines (AFP).
GeneralEduardo Ano, the AFP’s chief of staff said that soldiers and police clashedwith heavily-armed forces in Bohol on April 11. The military launched theoperation after receiving intelligence that 10 gunmen were sighted in threeboats.
Additionalforces from the Army, Air Force and the Navy were at the scene to assist theAFP, with the militant group surrounded and the firefight still ongoing.
Meanwhile,Ronal de Rosa, Director General of the Philippine National Police (PNP) affirmedthat police worked with the military to thwart an attack in Visayas region in thecentral Philippines. The militant group was hiding in houses in a village.
The US Embassy and the Australian Embassy in Manilawarned their citizens to be careful, adding the embassies have receivedinformation that terrorists may attempt kidnappings in Visayas.
Rosa confirmed on April 10 that the PNP receivedinformation of a potential terrorist threat in the central Philippines.
Abu Sayyaf, founded in the 1990s, has about 400militants operating in the southern Philippines. They are notorious forkidnappings, bomb attacks and beheading hostages.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered themilitary to hunt down Abu Sayyaf and said he has no plan to strike a peace dealwith the group.-VNA
