IS-linked gang kills 9 in Bohol

– Nine people, including four members of the Philippine security forces, were killed yesterday in clashes with 10 suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group on the resort island of Bohol, authorities said.

The incursion would be the first on a key Philippine tourist destination in recent years by the group which pledges allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and often targets foreigners in the lawless southern Mindanao region.

Five gunmen were killed, and four assault rifles and an improvised explosive device were recovered in the fighting on Bohol island, officials said.

American and Australian embassies had warned their citizens this week about possible kidnappings by “terrorist groups” specifically on Bohol and Cebu islands. – AFP