Philippine Fighting Leaves 18 Soldiers, 5 Militants Dead
The Philippine military said Sunday that 18 of its soldiers were killed and more than 50 others were wounded in a 10-hour firefight with Abu Sayyaf extremists in the southwestern island province of Basilan. A military spokesman said at least five militants died and 20 others were wounded in Saturday's fighting. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that an entire military platoon "was wiped out" and that four of the soldiers were beheaded. Authorities said the military force had been hunting the militants in Basilan and nearby Joso island for the past two weeks, in a push to free as many as 18 captive foreigners, including several Canadians and a European kidnapped from a local beach resort last year. ...
Comments
Post a Comment