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| Southeast Asia |
| Basilan death toll rises to 12 |
| 2014-04-13 |
| The death toll in the fighting between Islamist militants and soldiers in the southern Philippines has risen to 12. More than 28 soldiers were also reported injured in running gun battles that began on Friday in Basilan province between Philippine troops and suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The latest report said the casualties included five suspected Abu Sayyaf members and two government soldiers, correcting earlier reports of only three casualties on the side of the Abu Sayyaf fighters after the military attacked their bases in Ungkaya Pukan and Tipotipo. Capt. Jefferson Mamauag said that seven Abu Sayyaf members had been killed, "with authorities now searching for their burial sites." He also said three members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), another Muslim insurgent group with whom the government has just signed a peace agreement, were also killed Friday, but "their bodies were as yet unrecovered." Alton Angeles, municipal planning officer of the town where most of the fighting occurred, said MILF militants were fighting alongside government troops. However, MILF vice chair Ghazali Jaafar said their leadership had yet to receive a report of MILF casualties. He said, "It’s possible people got killed because there was a firefight." |
| Posted by:ryuge |