At least six suspected terrorists were killed in two days of fighting between the Philippine troops and Abu Sayyaf militant group over the weekend in the Southern city of Sulu, said the Philippine military on November 25.
Ten Malaysian fishermen were kidnapped by suspected Islamic State-linked militants off Borneo island on June 18 and were taken to the southern Philippines, local police said.
Malaysia and Indonesia are working to improve security in the Sulu Sea and calling on the Philippines to take tougher actions against the Islam extremist group Abu Sayyaf.
The defence ministers of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia on June 20 agreed to explore all possibilities to prevent ship kidnappings and attacks.
The Philippines military on December 4 said the country’s security forces have detained a local suspected an Islamist extremist linked to the kidnapping of Malaysians in the Philippines.