Philippine army clash with Abu Sayyaf

Six soldiers of the Philippine army were killed and four others were injured during a clash with gunmen of Abu Sayyaf in the southern Basilan province of the Philippines (Photo: EPA/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Six soldiers of the Philippine army were killed and four others were injured during a clash with gunmen of Abu Sayyaf in the southern Basilan province of the Philippines.

According to military sources, many militants were crashed and wounded in the fight on November 8 in an isolated village, though the number is yet to be identified. Government security forces were attacked when they were carrying out a raid in the region.

Abu Sayyaf is an insurgent group in the Philippines that received sponsorship from Al-Qaeda. The group pledged allegiance with the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) and is responsible for kidnapping and bombing in the Philippines. It is believed to launch the attack on May 23 in Marawi city, killing over 1,000 people.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law on Mindanao since then and he declared on October 17 that the city was fully liberated.-VNA