At least 18 people, including children, have lost their lives during a militant attack in the remote southern Philippine town of Talipao, the military says.
The attack was carried out in early hours of Monday when about 40 to 50 al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, armed with assault rifles, opened fire on two vehicles, said local marine commander Brigadier-General Martin Pinto.
“There were civilians as well as children among” the victims, he told reporters.
Pinto added at least four members of a Talipao civilian security force called Barangay Police Action Team were among the victims.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf is a small group of extremist rebels who operate in the Philippines.
Founded in the 1990s, the militant group has been blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines’ recent history including the 2004 bombing of a ferry that left more than 100 dead, abductions of foreign missionaries and tourists, and beheadings mostly of local people.
About 10 hostages, including two German tourists one Dutch and a Swiss, are being held by Abu Sayyaf.
DB/HRB
Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/07/28/373094/18-killed-in-militant-attack-in-philippines/
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