Philippine Troops kill Egyptian, 2 Filipino Militants

Philippine troops killed a suspected Egyptian would-be suicide bomber and two local Abu Sayyaf militants, military officials said Saturday.

Army troops fired at the three militants in a 10-minute firefight Friday night near a hinterland village off mountainous Patikul town in southern Sulu province.

Army Brigade Commander Col. Benjamin Batara Jr. noted that they found three assault rifles and bandoliers of ammunition.

Military officials did not indicate how the three were tracked down but military chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana claimed that troops were helped by intelligence provided by villagers.

“The support of the public in our peace and security operations is much, much needed,” Sobejana told The Associated Press.

The Egyptian, who was identified by the military only as Yusop, was the son of an Egyptian militant, Siti Aisyah, who died when she detonated a bomb and was shot by troops two years ago at the gate of an army detachment in Sulu’s Indanan town, according to AP.

The military also revealed that his stepfather was killed in a gunbattle with troops at a military checkpoint in Indanan, in 2019.

“This is one less suicide bomber,” army Maj. Gen. William Gonzales said. “Without them, the possibility of another attack is slimmer.”

Moreover, the troops killed suspected bomb maker Abu Khattab Jundullah and another still-unidentified militant. They belonged to an Abu Sayyaf faction.

Abu Sayyaf, the small but violent group has long been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines for ransom kidnappings, beheadings of hostages and deadly bombing attacks.