MANILA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- At least two terrorists have been killed as troops fought an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf Group fighters (ASG) in southern Philippine jungles of Sulu, an army general said on Friday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the military's Joint Task Force Sulu, said in a statement that fighting broke out around noon on Thursday in a village in Patikul town, a known lair of Abu Sayyaf Group.
He said Thursday's firefight last almost an hour with two Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists killed.
Sobejana said the militants were part of the ASG gunmen that clashed with troops on Tuesday in another village in Patikul town. At least five ASG militants were killed and six soldiers wounded in Tuesday's clash, according to the military.
The military said the ASG is still holding more than a dozen hostages.
Abu Sayyaf Group was set up in the early 1990s. It is one of the terrorist groups in the Philippines that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and is notorious for kidnapping for ransom, bombings and robberies in the southern Philippines.
The Abu Sayyaf bandits have hideouts in the remote impoverished provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.