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Abu Sayyaf sub-leader injured in S. Philippines

Xinhua, November 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Government troops assaulted the Abu Sayyaf group on Saturday in southern Philippine province of Sulu and seriously wounded its sub-leader involved in the kidnapping of a German couple last year.

Joint Task Group Sulu (JTGS) military commander Alan Arrojado identified the wounded militant as Ben Saudi, sub-leader of the Ajang-ajang subgroup of the Abu Sayyaf based in Sulu.

Arrojado said firefight sparked when troops on special mission assaulted the harbor area of Ben Saudi's group in the village of Liang, Patikul Township.

The military commander said the firefight ensued for five minutes as the Abu Sayyaf group managed to withdraw tagging along with them their wounded leader.

He said Ben Saudi has pending warrant of arrest for his involvement in the kidnapping of German couple Dr. Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrike Dielen last April in Palawan.

The German couple were freed after almost seven months in captivity allegedly due to payment of 250 million pesos (5.3 million U.S. dollars) ransom.

The Abu Sayyaf group demanded one-billion-pesos ransom for each of the captive westerners based on their video footage released in social media early this week. Endit