The militant Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) suffered heavy losses in the first six months of 2020 as 29 of its members surrendered to the military, 28 more were slain while four others were arrested in various operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bared on Sunday.
Gen. Felimon Santos, AFP chief of staff, said the military’s success covered the period from Jan. 1 to June 18.
During the course of six months, 41 high-powered firearms and seven improvised explosive devices were also seized from the bandits while right terrorist encampments were discovered, Santos noted.
“The success of our operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group can be attributed to the strong support of the national leadership, interagency cooperation, and the soldiers’ high state of morale,” he said.
“The AFP will sustain this momentum against the terror group so that once and for all, peace and development will be genuinely felt by our people,” he added.
Among the recent accomplishments by the military was the capture of Kahar Indama, a suspected ASG bomber and cousin of ASG leader Furuji Indama, in a joint operation with the police in Zamboanga City on June 18. (Martin Sadongdong)