MOST WANTED
Security forces crack down on Abu Sayyaf kingpin
At least one policeman has been killed during a clash with up to 50 Abu Sayyaf fighters
Manila — Philippine troops and police battled dozens of gunmen protecting one of the world’s most wanted Islamic militants in a built-up area of a southern city on Tuesday, authorities said. At least one policeman was killed in the hunt for Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang and Philippine head of the Islamic State group, according to Philippine military chief of staff Gen Eduardo Ano. The fighting took place in Marawi, a mostly Muslim-populated city on the southern island of Mindanao, with the gunmen attacking a hospital during the clashes. "Please advise people to stay inside their houses. We will clear the area," Ano said. He said the fighting began when police and troops raided a house on Tuesday afternoon where Hapilon, the subject of a US State Department bounty of $5m, was believed to be hiding. This triggered fierce clashes throughout the afternoon, with Ano estimating there were about 50 gunmen. A woman who asked not to be named said that she h...
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