Manila, August 13: Deadly clashes between al-Qaeda-linked militants and Philippine military have claimed the lives of at least 20 insurgents and 23 soldiers.
The fighting erupted on Wednesday when the military launched a major offensive on a training camp run by the notorious Abu Sayyaf group in the town of Ungkaya Pukan on Basilan island.
Military officials reported on Thursday the casualties from the day-long clashes, saying another 14 soldiers were also wounded in the heavy fire exchange.
The military “launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf’s main training camp in the province”, army spokeswoman Lieutenant Steffani Cacho said.
“Recovered from the camp were sizeable quantities of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) rigged to explode while others were ready for use,” she said.
Regional commander Major General Benjamin Dolorfino said fighting was over but troops were still clearing the area to make sure no insurgents remained there.
The separatist Abu Sayyaf was established in the early 1990s and is engaged in bombings and kidnappings — beheading hostages when they are not promptly paid the demanded ransom.
The group is viewed to be affiliated with the militant Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) which operates in the southern Philippines, and is blamed for the 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia that killed 202 people.
—–Agencies