6 ASG fighters killed in encounter with soldiers

Six suspected members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were killed in a fierce gun battle with Army troopers in a remote area of Maluso town in Basilan.

Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional police, said the clash stemmed from the operation launched by elements of the 68thInfantry Battalion.

At around 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, the Army troopers chanced upon a group of Abu Sayyaf men in Sitio Kitchen in Barangay Muslim area that resulted in the firefight.

“As a result, six alleged ASG members were killed,” said Mijares.

Pursuit operations, he said, were still being conducted by the military in Maluso town and nearby areas for those who were able to escape.

“We are now in the process of identifying the six slain ASGs,” said Mijares.

The military has been aggressively running after the Abu Sayyaf which continues to hold several hostages.

The ASG was tagged as responsible in the series of high-profile kidnap-forransom cases that include foreigners, its notoriety includes beheading the hostage whose relatives would not pay their ransom demand.

Aside from kidnap-for-ransom, the group has also been tagged in bombing activities and attacks on military posts in Basilan and Sulu.

The military, however, said that the ASG’s operational capability has significantly reduced following the death of its top leaders, including the Janjalani brothers, over the years.