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At least 64 Abu Sayyaf members killed in Philippines this year: military

Xinhua, June 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

A total of 64 Abu Sayyaf members were killed and 104 others were reportedly injured in the continuing military operations against the terrorist group in Sulu province since January this year, Philippine military said on Monday.

"Its due to our relentless operations, we've been looking for their hideouts. We've also gotten good intelligence (information), " Col. Allan Arrojado, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu said when asked to which he attributes their feat during the first five months of the year.

"We have coordinated, focused military operations involving the Marines, Army with the Navy, Air Force and the artillery units. Because of that, we were able to achieve this feat," he added.

However, 9 soldiers died and 69 others were injured in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from January to May.

When asked how many Abu Sayyaf men are still operating in Sulu, Arrojado said the number could reach as much as 400. However, he said: "We have identified around 200, based on pictures and revelations of those captured."

Founded in the early 1990s by Islamic extremists, the ASG is a violent Muslim terrorist group operating in the southern Philippines. The ASG is notorious for a series of kidnappings, bombings and even beheadings in southern Philippines over the past decades. Endi