Philippine Marine soldiers ambushed by Abu Sayyaf militants, three killed

Three Marine soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by a group of Abu Sayyaf Group members in south Philippine province of Sulu on Thursday, said local authorities.

Filemon Tan, spokesperson of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said the soldiers were assigned with the Marine Battalion Landing Team 10. He declined to name the killed and said notification of their families is still pending.

Citing initial reports from ground units, Tan said the three soldiers were procuring supplies in Indanan town at around 8 a.m when they were waylaid by the undetermined number of suspects.

He said the soldiers were on foot at that time and were not able to fire back at the Abu Sayyaf attackers.

Tan said the bodies of the slain troops were brought to the Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo town.

Government soldiers have intensified operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu and Basilan in the wake of President Rodrigo Duterte's pledge to wipe out the group.

The Philippine government has been fighting the Abu Sayyaf rebels since the 1990s. Past administrations have labeled the group, numbering about 400, as bandits or criminals that carries out illegal activities including kidnappings for ransom, killings and bombings in Mindanao in southern Philippines. Endit