6 Abu Sayyaf killed, 7 soldiers wounded in weekend encounters in Sulu

SIX MEMBERS of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were killed in continuing military operations over the weekend in the southern island of Sulu, the Western Mindanao Command WestMinCom) reported late Sunday. The military said among those killed were two sub-leaders of the militant group, known for its kidnap-for-ransom operations and has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS). One of them was identified as Sibih Pisih, who leads has a pending arrest warrant for the massacre of 22 civilians in Talipao, Sulu in 2014. Lt. General Cirilito E. Sobejana, WestMinCom commander, said the operation was part of “search and rescue efforts to recover the kidnap victim, including the Hyrons couple,” referring to Filipina Wilma Hyrons and her British husband, Allan, who were abducted at their beach resort in Zamboanga del Norte in early Oct. Last Friday, troops also killed high-value target Talha Jumsah, an IS-trained improvised explosive device expert who also served as “finance conduit and liason” between foreign and local terrorists. Meanwhile, WestMinCom said five soldiers and two Special Forces members were injured in the two encounters over the weekend, all of whom have undergone medical treatment in nearby facilities.