8 killed in firefight with Abu Sayyaf in Sulu

Fierce fighting erupted Friday morning in strife-torn Sulu in the southern Philippines leaving one soldier and seven Abu Sayyaf militants dead and 24 people wounded.

Sulu Joint Task Group commander Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado said that the battle broke out as troops of the Army's 10th Battalion encountered around 100 members of the Daesh-linked group around 9.15 a.m. in the village of Panglayahan in Patikul town, Sulu.

The ensuing clash -- which saw both sides exchange mortar and machine gun fire -- lasted until 10.40 a.m.

The group was understood to be led by notorious veteran Radullan Sahiron -- described in military reports as a one-armed, horse riding Muslim rebel leader -- who reportedly took control of the organization following the death of previous leader Khadaffy Janjalani in Sept. 2006.

The United States has offered a $1 million reward for Sahiron's capture or killing.

Arrojado said an army corporal was killed in the fighting, and battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Mario Jacinto was wounded along with 16 of his men.

The seven slain militants remained unidentified, while Sahiron and six other Abu Sayyaf militants were wounded, Arojado quoted villagers as saying.

According to the Task Group commander, a combined military and police team also arrested three Abu Sayyaf members in the village of Bangkal, Patikul town -- a notorious Abu Sayyaf safe haven -- on Thursday.

"The suspects were riding a motorcycle in Barangay Bangkal around 11.40 a.m. when a joint military and police team led by Major Ibni Saddama noticed they had guns tucked in their waists," said Arojado.

The trio are being held on suspicion of involvement in the deaths of police officers at Jolo airport, and a fatal ambush Tuesday on two army intelligence operatives.

A military source who asked not to be identified as he is not authorized to talk to the media said that security forces are continuing intensive operations in the jungles of Sulu in an effort to release Norwegian and Canadian hostages being held by the group.

On March 10, a video was posted to Facebook showing the three thin, bearded and handcuffed hostages appealing to their governments for help securing their release, saying that if their kidnapper's demands are not met they will be killed April 8.

Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion in a self-determined fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.

It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.

In 1970, leader Sahiron -- also known as Kumander Putol (Putol is Filipino for "cut," and can also mean limbless) -- lost his right arm fighting security forces.

Then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo heralded his capture in 2005, until the arrested man turned out to be a lookalike missing the wrong arm.