Four soldiers were killed and 17 wounded in a clash
with militants in the southern Philippines, the military
said Saturday.
Two members of the Abu Sayyaf group were also killed in the firefight
on Friday in Patikul town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of
Manila, said Major Arvin Encinas, a regional military spokesman.
The soldiers were on patrol in a village in Patikul town when they
encountered about 40 Abu Sayyaf militants, Encinas said.
The firefight lasted for about 40 minutes and ended when the
militants retreated, he added.
Jolo is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, the most violent militant group in the Philippines that has been blamed for some of
the worst terrorist attacks in the country.
The militants have also been responsible for high-profile kidnappings
of foreigners and Filipinos, some of whom they beheaded after ransoms
were not paid.
The group has allied itself with the Islamic State terrorist
organization, which has claimed responsibility for several bombings
in the Philippines.
Abu Sayyaf group is the most violent militant group in the Philippines that has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the country
