The Philippine military says 57 people, including 26 soldiers, have been killed in clashes between government troops and militants on the country's volatile southern island of Jolo.
Military officials said Friday fighting broke out Thursday when rebels from the Abu Sayyaf militant group and Moro National Liberation Front fighters ambushed a group of soldiers transporting supplies.
At least 31 rebels have been killed in the fighting.
The clashes are the latest in a recent wave of violence in the southern Philippines and more troops are being deployed to respond to the surge in violence.
Troops have been massing in the south since early July when 14 marines were killed on the nearby island of Basilan. Ten of them were beheaded.
Abu Sayyaf is aligned with al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, and their goals are the same - to impose Islamic rule over their dominion. They've used the Phillipine archipelago for shelter from military action, and engage in piracy, kidnapping, and sabotage in addition to ambushing military forces arrayed against them.
No comments:
Post a Comment