Philippines: 15 terrorists of Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah islamist groups killed by army air strike
Air Force planes bombed a remote area in Parang town in Sulu Thursday morning, and the military reported two wanted foreign terrorist group leaders and at least 13 other members of the local extremist group Abu Sayyaf, were killed in the attack.
Maj. Gen. Noel Coballes, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, described the attack as the biggest successful single military operation in past years.
The Armed Forces said among those killed were Umbra Jumdail, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader who had the alias Dr. Abu Pula; and Indian-Singaporean Mauwiyah and, Malaysian Zulkipli bin Hir, alias Marwan, both high in the hierarchy of the foreign terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.
“This is a deliberate, fully-planned attack coming from our forces,” said Coballes in a phone interview.