He said the troops have recovered the remains of Said and that of other five slain Abu Sayyaf followers at the clash site.
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The group is still holding about 20 hostages, including eight Indonesians, five Malaysians, a Norwegian and a Dutch national.
Philippine troops killed at least 11 Abu Sayyaf militants, including an influential commander, in an assault on the extremists Friday following their beheading of a captive whose family was too poor to pay ransom, the military said.
“My order to the police and to the armed forces is to seek them out in their lairs and destroy them”, Duterte said. Thursday, Duterte said a ransom was paid for Sekkingstad’s freedom, but refused to elaborate.
The fight against the group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (Isis) is being carried out by more than 1,200 troops, including special forces commandos.
The report also quoted Brigadier General Arnel dela Vega, who is the commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu, as saying that they were will validating reports that the ASG commander was killed during the fierce encounter in Barangay Bongkaong, Patikul, in Sulu, southern Philippines Friday morning. “But it was, I think, it was also raised by third parties, not from the government”, Abella said.
Recto said some AFP units tied up in checking New People’s Army activities could now be redeployed to areas where the Abu Sayyaf has grassroots support or within the reach of “Abu Sayyaf’s long arm of terror”.
Said has been tagged as involved in the kidnapping of three foreigners from the luxurious Samal Island resort off Davao City in September a year ago. The government, he said, maintains a no-ransom policy in resolving kidnappings. “By all means, that’s what we are doing and we will not stop until it’s done”.
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Flor was released by the group in June following a successful negotiation led by former Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, who were tapped by Duterte to secure the woman.
