Philippine: Army kills 11 Sunni extremist militants in major anti-insurgency offensive

Philippine troops, backed by airstrikes and artillery fire, killed 11 suspected members of Sunni Extremist militias near a hinterland village in the country’s south in one of the military’s bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year, the Associated Press reported.

The military launched the offensive Friday after receiving intelligence about the whereabouts of suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, or the BIFF, groups near the village of Tuwayan in southern Datu Hofer town in Maguindanao province, military officials confirmed.

According to a regional military official, government forces recovered 11 bodies of suspected militants after more than three hours of fighting. This came after 13 armed militants belonging to the Dawla Islamiyah surrendered with their firearms to the military in the south.