Air strikes kill 14 Abu bandits

The military on Thursday said 14 Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed in air strikes in the vicinity of Mt. Sinumaan in Patikul, Sulu, four days after the beheading of a Canadian hostage.

Government forces said they rained artillery fire on the Abu Sayyaf gunmen as planes and helicopters flew low over the jungle terrain dropping bombs on the bandits believed to be holding 20 foreign hostages, but there was no sign of the captives.

President Aquino on Wednesday vowed to “neutralize” the bandits, who have declared allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, a day after the severed head of Canadian hostage John Ridsdel was dumped near Jolo’s City Hall.

“As a result of the bombardments… they were able to occupy the former places occupied by the Abu Sayyaf that resulted in the recovery of [Ridsdel’s] torso,” military spokesperson Col. Noel Detoyato told reporters in Manila.

No bodies found

He said local civilians told authorities that 14 gunmen were killed, but no bodies were reported to have been discovered and his tally could not be independently verified.

Detoyato said the offensive, which began last Saturday and  targeted at veteran one-armed Abu Sayyaf commander Radullan Sahiron, was proving a success.

“What is important here is that operations are continuing and we are gaining headway and our troops are determined,” Detoyato said.

He said, however, that there had been no sightings of the remaining hostages, and that the militants had apparently escaped the area that had been the target of the attacks.

President Aquino said on Wednesday the hostages, including a Canadian, a Norwegian and a Filipino woman abducted with Ridsdel from yachts at a beach resort on Samal Island, Davao del Sur province, seven months ago, were being held by Sahiron on Jolo.

The militants are also holding 18 Indonesian and Malaysian sailors kidnapped from waters south of the Philippines over the past month, as well as a Dutch bird watcher abducted in 2012.

The military deployed its MG 520 Defender attack helicopters, Huey choppers and OV-10 Bronco light attack aircraft in the offensive.

Ground troops began the bombardment as early as Saturday of selected targets in Sulu, using planes and 105mm howitzers.

“The troops kept on pressing, that is why they were able to occupy the places formerly occupied by the Abu Sayyaf that led to the recovery of the torso believed to be that of the Canadian victim,” Detoyato said.

He said there were casualties on the government side in the offensive in Sulu.

Miranda visits troops

The acting chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, visited soldiers in Jolo town on Wednesday to observe the operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesperson for the AFP, said Miranda was accompanied by the Army chief, Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año.

“Troops are hot on the trail of the kidnap-for-ransom group on the island, aiming to rescue the remaining hostages,” Padilla said. With a report from  AFP