Philippine soldiers fight rebels, save Vietnamese hostages

More than 10 Abu Sayyaf terrorists have been killed. There is still no information about the fate of the Vietnamese hostages kidnapped by the group.

Philippine Army Major General Carlito Galvez (right) visits wounded soldiers after a clash with Abu Sayyaf gunmen. Photo: Philstar

Reuters quoted Major General Carlito Galvez, commander of the western Mindanao military region, confirming that a raid on the Abu Sayyaf group was launched on April 2, in an effort to rescue dozens of hostages they had taken.

The gunfight between the two sides lasted for about an hour with many casualties on both sides.

Mr. Galvez did not say how many troops the military had mobilized. But he said his troops clashed with about 100 Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Radullan Sahiron, who is on the U.S. State Department’s most-wanted list with a $1 million bounty on his head.

The military also used 105mm artillery to fire at the Abu Sayyaf base in Talipao town. Philippine authorities believe this is where they are holding six Vietnamese sailors hostage for ransom.

"The 105mm artillery fired directly at their hideout. More than 10 of them were killed. We discovered many mutilated bodies when we arrived but continued to organize a search for them," said General Galvez.

The Philippine military also suffered casualties. 32 soldiers, including a battalion commander, were wounded by fragments of grenades fired by the Abu Sayyaf.

Abu Sayyaf's tactic is to kidnap foreign sailors for ransom. A small but radical group with links to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization, Abu Sayyaf has carried out executions of hostages when its demands are not met.

Last month, in an effort by the Philippine military, five Malaysian and two Filipino sailors were rescued from the Abu Sayyaf.

According to Tuoi Tre