MANILA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A soldier was killed and three others wounded as Philippine troops fought a group of Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu province in the southern Philippines on Thursday, the military said.
Lt. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, the commander of the military's Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said a 20-minute firefight broke out around 11:30 a.m. local time as troops tracked an estimated 30 Abu Sayyaf militants in Igasan, a remote village in Patikul town in Sulu province.
"Military troops are in pursuit of the evading militants. Ground units are also prepositioned to deliver fire support and block withdrawal routes of the militants," Vega said.
Vega said the military offensive will be "bolstered" in the coming days as government security forces track the militants that believed to be behind the Jan. 27 Jolo twin blasts. The blasts killed 23 and wounded about 100 at a church.
Security forces have launched several actions immediately after the church attack which Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Philippine security authorities blamed on Indonesian suicide bombers aided by the Abu Sayyaf fighters.
Thursday's firefight is the second major encounter between the troops and the militants since the Jolo blasts took place.
