Philippine military kills 15 terrorists, wounds militant leader
FORUM Staff
An ongoing Philippine military offensive killed 15 terrorists with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and wounded one of Southeast Asia’s most notorious militant figures who once held a leadership position within Abu Sayyaf Group, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced in January 2017.
The military airstrikes also wounded seven other militants, according to AFP intelligence.
Onetime Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader Isnilon Totoni Hapilon suffered arm wounds when AFP aircraft and fighter jets dropped bombs on a military encampment in late January 2017. Hapilon, who allegedly served as deputy or second in command of ASG, is on the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted Terrorists list. The U.S. State Department offers a reward of up to U.S. $5 million for the apprehension or conviction of Hapilon.
Hapilon moved to Butig from a stronghold on the southern Philippines island province of Basilan sometime in December 2016, according to The Associated Press (AP), tasking with him 30 fighters to scout for a new base.
“It is too early to rejoice, but I consider this initial success a significant gain in the campaign to defeat the terror groups in Western Mindanao by the end of June 2017 as desired by the President and Commander-in-Chief Rodrigo Duterte,” AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano said, according to the online news site Update.PH.
Ano told AP that the Philippines was “making it very difficult” for militants to “move around and survive.” (Pictured: Philippine Soldiers and police operate a checkpoint in Manila as the government tightens security across the country.)
Duterte continues to warn that the Islamic State poses a major national threat as the terrorist group aims to expand its influence within the country. The president has taken a firm stance on fighting extremist groups, ordering the military to destroy them.
Less than a week after the airstrikes, Duterte warned the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to “forget about peace” if they provided sanctuary to terrorists being hunted down by the government, The Star Online reported in January 2017.
“This time, do not allow the Maute [also known as the Islamic State in Lanao] and other terrorist groups to enter or seek refuge in your camps,” Duterte said, according to The Star Online. “I’d be forced to tell the armed forces and the police, ‘Get in.’ ”
